When There's Love Around Kiefer

• 1 introduction 00:51
• 2 i remember this picture 03:34
• 3 lift somebody up 04:43
• 4 earthly things 05:04
• 5 crybaby 04:47
• 6 curly 04:38
• 7 a wish for you 01:49
• 8 loving hands 02:07
• 9 Areti's Love 03:52
• 10 with you where you are 02:05
• 11 when there's love around 05:04
• 12 i love my friends 04:13
• Total Runtime 42:47

Info for When There's Love Around

Kiefer’s new album sees the acclaimed GRAMMY Award-winning artist team up with several other musicians for a full live band sound. When There’s Love Around is an album of two halves. The first is “about feeling small and insignificant and stressed,” Kiefer says. “It’s about things that cause me to worry, but at the end of the day, are probably unimportant from a larger cosmic perspective.”

The nostalgia of looking through old childhood pictures in one of the lead tracks, “I remember this picture,” is reflected on the album cover, a Polaroid of Kiefer and his sister, painted by Mikey Yates.

The album’s second half is more reflective and spiritual, its cathartic mood occasioned by the loss of Kiefer’s beloved grandmother. While grief and loss are main themes, the tone is still largely positive – Kiefer describes himself as an optimist.

Kiefer assembled a band of his favorite musicians, including DJ Harrison, Andy McCauley, Josh Johnson, Will Logan, Sam Wilkes and other jazz luminaries. They laid the album down in three sets of sessions over 2020, including one stint at Jazzy Jeff’s studio after the DJ invited Kiefer to record there. Several songs were recorded in one or two takes, with any mistakes left in, true to Kiefer’s preference for music that feels spontaneous and from the heart. Kiefer has long performed with a live band, and found the setup suited the communal spirit he was striving for on this album: “I find something about the Herculean type of jazz performer really alienating. I want to celebrate human connection,” he explains.

The track “When there’s love around” is Kiefer’s take on The Crusader’s song from 1974.

"Kiefer has gathered around him some of the best jazz musicians from the west coast including Will Logan and DJ Harrison on drums and Andy McCauley on electric bass and guitar. The album was recorded in three sets of sessions in 2020 at Jazzy Jeff’s invitation in his studio, and many songs were recorded in only one or two takes, to ensure that the final result retains its freshness and intimacy. This is an album unafraid to display emotion and sentiment and will appeal to those who appreciate music that is deceptively easy on the ear but rewards close listening." (Graham Spry, londonjazznews.com)

Kiefer, Fender Rhodes, keyboards
Andy McCauley, bass
Will Logan, drums
Josh Johnson, saxophone
Jacob Mann, piano, synthesizer

Kiefer
is a pianist and producer. Aside from his solo released on Stones Throw, he is also a frequent collaborator with Mndsgn's live trio, among others. He began playing piano as a child and producing beats at around age twelve, moving from San Diego to L.A. to study under renowned jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell at UCLA’s Jazz Studies program. There, he started thinking about the connection between the jazz piano he studied and the beats he created outside of school. While his peers were performing over live instrumentation, Kiefer produced electronic beats free from sampled melodies or drum breaks.

Kiefer began playing piano as a child and producing beats when he was twelve. His father was a New Orleans-style blues pianist with a love for Miles Davis and John Coltrane. He also has a sister and brother with musical talent.In an interview with Bandcamp, Kiefer spoke about his early days playing the piano: "I remember the first song I ever learned how to play was a song me and my sister made up called "The Haunted House Song." My job was to play two notes: an E-flat and a D-flat, and her job was to play three-notes: a G-flat, a G and an A-flat.We’d play them at the same time just to make noise, and it was scary-sounding. I also remember my dad taught me how to play ‘Blue Monk’ by Thelonious Monk. I was really little—I must’ve been four or five. He also taught me how to play boogie-woogie stuff and blues-style piano when I was really young."

He moved from San Diego to Los Angeles and was an understudy to jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell as well as flutist James Newton and pianist Tamir Hendelmanat at UCLA’s Jazz Studies program. Kiefer actively studied Ethnomusicology with a concentration in jazz studies. His style sprang to life when he began applying what he was learning at school to the beats he was making as a hobby. He has played with Mndsgn, Jonah Levine, Terrace Martin, Moses Sumney and others.He used to frequent LA's popular Low End Theory club, and saw Anderson Paak perform as Breezy Lovejoy.

Kiefer released his debut album, Kickinit Alone, on Leaving Records last year, which netted him a Best Jazz Album nomination from A2IM.He followed it up with an album called Happysad that was released on Stones Throw Records and inspired by Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Karriem Riggins, Knxwledge, among others. In 2019, Kiefer released his EP, Bridges.

This album contains no booklet.