Dee DeLuca, 35, from Mount Maunganui has a phenomenal voice with a singing style
reminiscent of the New York jazz club scene. She is a barista and vocal teacher by day and singer by night. She's performing with Trevor Braunias at the Jazz Lunch at Trinity Hotel on the Easter Sunday.
Q&A WITH DEE DELUCA
How was your experience with the Jazz Fest last year?
Last year I was privileged to be invited to sit in with the amazing Alan Brown Trio as a guest singer, as well as performing with my own full band on the main stage in the Jazz Village. I connected with one of New Zealand's jazz guitar treasures, Dixon Nacey, who also played with Alan Brown that day.
I wanted to do a concert and see where we could go on a musical level, because I was heavily inspired by Dixon's versatility. And I also wanted to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone. The outcome was overwhelming. The place was packed and the crowd was phenomenal. We had so much fun that night. Right now we're continuing our collaboration and have some cool plans for the coming future.