Kiefer Announces ‘Over the Breaks’ Festival At L.A.’s Lodge Room, Signs to Blue Note (Exclusive)

Kiefer, a Grammy-winning hip-hop/jazz pianist/producer based in Los Angeles — recently signed to the legendary Blue Note Records by label head Don Was — has announced a two-day “Over the Breaks” festival. Named after a track by the late hip-hop artist J Dilla, the curated shows will take place at L.A.’s Lodge Room on September 18-19 with GENA (Karriem Riggins + Liv.e), CARRTOONS, Luke Titus and Shibo, among more to be announced.

With his own combination of hip-hop beats and “jazz adjacent,” Kiefer finds the latter term “vague and clunky… It presents a problem for artists under that label. It’s no coincidence many of those acts struggle to find their place on festival lineups. I decided to curate a festival of acts which represent this sound to me.”

Karriem Riggins, who co-produced J Dilla’s original “Over the Breaks” track, will be among the performers the first night, which “means everything to me,” according to Kiefer.

Kiefer’s signing to Blue Note is also especially meaningful to him. “When I was four years old, my dad used to play recordings of great jazz musicians and make me recite their names: John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Clark. The catalog he used to educate me was Blue Note. Blue Note is the most iconic jazz label of all time. As someone who loves jazz, to be on the Blue Note roster is a huge honor. As someone who was raised on the Blue Note catalog, it is deeply sentimental and life-affirming.”

Added Blue Note President Don Was, “Kiefer represents a new generation of pianist/composers who grew up equally fluent in jazz harmony, hip hop production, and beat culture. What makes him so special is that, beneath the modern production, is a deeply emotional and sophisticated musician with real touch, feel and compositional identity. He’s one of the clearest examples of where contemporary music is headed, and we’re thrilled to release his records on the Blue Note label.”

Kiefer began playing piano as a child and producing beats when he was 12, eventually moving from San Diego to Los Angeles to study under renowned jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell at UCLA’s Jazz Studies program. There, he began thinking about the connection between the jazz piano he studied and the beats he created outside of school. Kiefer has since released a series of acclaimed albums on Stones Throw Records. His 2024 NPR Tiny Desk Concert featured his trio with Luke Titus and Pera Krstajic plus special guests Charlie Hunter, Nate Smith, CARRTOONS and Theo Croker.

In addition to his solo work, Kiefer has produced, played, and written for artists including Drake and Anderson .Paak, winning a Grammy Award for his work with the latter. He has also collaborated with Dr. Dre, De La Soul, Pete Rock, KAYTRANADA and Stanley Clarke among others.

Kiefer is managed by veteran Keith Hagan’s Skylark Artist Management, whose roster includes the Afghan Whigs, Cymande, the Four Tops and Robert Finley, among others.

Tour Dates

July 2 – Ronnie Scott’s – London, UK

July 5 – Love Supreme Festival – Glynde, UK

July 8 – Le Rocher De Palmer – Cenon, France

July 9 – Jazz à Vienne – Vienne, France

July 11 – North Sea Jazz Festival – Rotterdam, Netherlands

July 18 – Pori Jazz Festival – Pori, Finland

July 22 – Poolbar Festival – Feldkirch, Austria

Sept. 18-19 – Over The Breaks – Los Angeles, CA