Julian Lage returns to play the Healdsburg festival that changed his life
(WorldNews Music)

If there`s one musician who embodies the oversized influence of the Healdsburg Jazz Festival it`s guitarist Julian Lage. The festival, launched in 1999 by jeweler Jessica Felix, has earned international renown by showcasing jazz legends like Charlie Haden, Billy Higgins, Fred Hersch, George Cables and Billy Hart. Felix had forged close friendships with many of these veteran masters in earlier decades when she helped lead organizations like Loft Jazz and Jazz In Flight, but Felix also has a keen ear for rising stars — like Lage. A prodigy who displayed preternatural poise and talent before the age of 10, Lage made his first Healdsburg appearance in 2000 when tenor saxophonist/flutist...