Idyllwild Arts songwriter classmates Alex Keller (right) and Elias Sedimayr at piano appeared at Creek House Friday evening, May 25.

Grammy-nominated jazz singer Denise Donatelli knows how to caress a lyric so that you feel the story in the song — the happiness, the ache, the sadness and the soul. “A dark, enchanting voice, an intuitive ability to tell a musical story, and ineffable rhythmic drive — all the qualities one looks for in a…