When it comes to music, there’s no cornering Dayan Kai. His ever-evolving musical story is nothing less than a testament to the diversity of music.
He was born in Hawaii, so naturally, he’s a gifted slack-key guitarist and was a longtime member of a Hawaiian band called the Ohanas. He grew up locally, mostly in the picturesque mission town San Juan Bautista, and from a young age was steeped in the music of Mexican-American heritage and played in a band called the Californios.
He’s well-known as a collaborator with pal and singer/songwriter Keith Greeninger in the country/folk realm, but he really considers himself a jazz artist. He’s studied with Cabrillo College’s Ray Brown, and the legendary jazz mandolinist David Grisman.
Even if you want to go into the classical avant garde, Kai will gladly go with you there as well, having studied with the legendary composer Lou Harrison and played gamelan in Harrison’s group as well.
As for instrumentation, Kai has built a strong local reputation as a string player, but during a rare concert with his own band Saturday at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center, he’ll spend a good deal of his time at the piano. He’s also a fine singer. Plus, if you know him, you’ve probably learned about his ever-growing collection of woodwind instruments, particularly flutes.
“Oh, yeah,” said Kai, “I have flutes from all over the world, reed flutes, wood flutes, bamboo flutes, from Pakistan, from India. I’ll go to the Santa
Cruz flea market, looking for flutes.”
Kai comes to the Kuumbwa with a set of familiar collaborators in tow – bassist Steve Ucello, drummer Jimmy Norris, keyboardist Art Alm and vocalist Sharon Allen – along with a few other sit-in guests. In keeping with Kai’s staggering eclecticism, he said he plans to perform a bit of everything from “sambas to gospel.”
“I just feel like it’s all related,” he said. “It’s just part of what you do is you plan to be an independent 21st-century musician.”
Dayan Kai – the first name is DAY-yun; the last name rhymes with “sky” – has been a central figure in the Santa Cruz County music scene for decades. Born without sight – “My eyes work just fine,” he said. “I have a neurological condition in which my brain doesn’t register the signal.” – Kai spent his early years playing a variety of musical instruments, often with San Juan’s El Teatro Campesino, in such music-heavy productions such as the traditional Mexicano Christmas play “La Pastorela.” It was only the beginning of a long education in music that went beyond playing.
“I’ve always been inspired by musicologists,” said Kai. “My challenge has always been put all these influences in some kind of concise package.”
Often described as a folk musician, which, he says, has regrettably been reduced to mean “a white guy playing a guitar,” Kai has spent time when he’s not playing in a band somewhere around Northern California indulging his love for different musical forms. He’s a looper, loves electronica, loves reggae and soul music as well.
Kai has recorded five albums under his own name, as well as with his band Water, and in collaboration with Greeninger. Saturday’s show, he said, will feature music from an upcoming release.
“This is mostly new material,” he said. “The last album I put out was in 2007, and that was a bunch of covers, so really it’s been 2006 since I’ve released original material.”
He’ll turn to the piano in Saturday’s show, interested in following his jazz music.
“I’m really rooted in traditional jazz, cool jazz, that kind of thing,” he said. “Growing up here, I got to see a lot of great people at the Kuumbwa from Elvin Jones to Billy Cobham. I adore the Kuumbwa and what it means to this community, so I couldn’t imagine a better place to showcase what I can do.”
Event details:
The event is at 7 p.m. Saturday at Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $18 advance; $30 Gold Circle seating. www.snazzyproductions.com.
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