[Harp-L] Anyone know who this is? Introducing Chef Denis Depoitre!

[David Fertig <drfertig@xxxxxxxxx>]

Chef Denis Depoitre is the Head Chef of the Huntington Langham Hotel, THE posh hotel of Pasadena, California (he got a Michelin star, for crissakes). 

According to my flawed but colorful memory: A long time harp amateur, back in the 90's (or before!) Denis with some of his kitchen staff assembled an ad hoc rock band and started an annual toys for tots event, a successful tradition was started.
Then some of Denis' friends, including Chicago Red (on whose 1st cd Denis briefly plays) took Denis around to local blues joints and Denis became increasingly ardent about his blues harp playing.  
About 15 years ago Denis started booking top Blues acts each Saturday night at the Bar at the Huntington Hotel, the poshest room in town, turning it into the funkiest Juke Joint in Pasadena!   He began booking top national acts like Kim, Rick, Cafe R&B, Juke Logan, Paul Oscher, John Nemeth, etc etc etc., and man, I guess you start hanging out with those cats you better start learning!
Denis is a friend and neighbor, a good guy with an easy demeanor.  He has sat in at a few Elmtree blues Jams here.  He lives a block away and sometimes walking past his house on an early Sunday morning I'll hear him playing intensely.  the nerve of some people!
Frankly, what he plays up there with Kim & Rick is nothing compared to what I've heard him play recently with Cafe R&B, he blew my mind, and theirs too, you should have seen their faces, Denis can PLAY!  Keep on the lookout, this guy's got a second career coming.
-Dave "if practice makes perfect I am deeply flawed" Fertig
--- On Mon, 2/8/10, harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx <harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Re: [Harp-L] Anyone know who this is? http://tinyurl.com/ye9ozu9 Sunday, February 7, 2010 8:06 PMFrom:"hazcon" <hazcon@xxxxxxxxxx>To:harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx, icemanle@xxxxxxxxxxx i noticed that too. Also, for two Harp players at the top of their game ,it was real nice to see their generosity in handing over the spotlight to each other and an amateur .Mind you he imo more than held his own...good solid 'brown' tone harp
 playing.
              I can't help wondering sometimes though,when i see this sort of playing the changes ,how the bass player must feel.......groundhog night?
You'd have to really luv Harp i reckon ,
Rick