Smitty: Wow, that’s so strong.
KE: Yeah.
Smitty: Yeah. He was a special man, I tell ya.
KE: Yeah, yeah. That being said, he wasn’t a huge pop music person, so (laughs) he was very opinionated about my music, so he liked certain things but other things he didn’t care for at all, but you know, okay.
Smitty: Yeah, but that’s just variety in music too.
KE: Absolutely, yeah.
Smitty: Well, you can be seen and heard in so many places now. My goodness, you’ve done the Jakarta Jazz Festival, you’ve done festivals in this country.
KE: Yeah.
Smitty: And you’ve been on tour with fantastic musicians like Christopher Cross, Tracy Chapman, oh my goodness, the list goes on. Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs, Al Jarreau. How do you have so much fun?
KE: Oh, you know, someone’s gotta do it. (Both laugh.) No, I’ve been really lucky, you know, I’ve been really lucky. I’m just one in a million keyboard players/singers out there. There are fantastic players out there that are playing in a hotel somewhere or playing in a coffee house that may never get the opportunity to travel the world, so I’ve just been really, really lucky and I count my blessings every day because it’s quite an opportunity, and I’ve been doing it for a while but I have been lucky enough to go from one thing to another to another, and it’s just being open to the experience, I guess, that’s allowed me to continue the experience.
Smitty: Yes, and speaking of great experience, you can be recently heard on Jessy J’s debut album Tequila Moon. You wrote a fantastic song for her, “Turquoise Street,” yeah. How did that come about? Man, and what a hit. Everybody’s loving that song.
KE: Yeah, and they love her and she’s great. She’s so cute. She’s just great. And that came about through Paul Brown. I remember him coming to me with her originally saying it would be fun to do some demos with her with the same band that recorded Kiki, so we got Dave Beyer and Roberto [Valley] and myself and went in the studio and recorded four songs, and those are the four that you can find on her CD: “Poetry Man” and “PB & J” and “A Song for You.” And while we were recording the first round, when I went home one night I just started playing this song, this melody and these chords, and it was inspired just by her and just that whole environment, so I brought it to them and they loved it and we recorded it. So it was really done with her in mind and we’re so glad that she recorded it.
Smitty: Wow, how cool is that, huh? But that’s where putting your heart into something that comes out so good because you had that in your heart and recognizing who she was, her personality, feeling her vibe, her musicianship, and then when you write in that regard I think sometimes it really just comes out so cool. Sort of like doing a portrait of her with song.
KE: Yeah, I agree. I’ve never been a real good writer for hire. I’ve tried (both laugh) but it has to come out of some sort of inspiration. Usually if I write for something that’s like an assignment, I never feel that passionate. Even if it might be okay, I’m not very passionate about it, but I love getting inspiration from talking to someone on the phone and say they’re looking for a song and then oh my God, I’ve got this great idea and then it’s just great, it’s magical to me.
Smitty: Yeah.
KE: So and then hopefully it works out and they record it.
Smitty: Absolutely.
KE: But that’s how I am.
Smitty: And it works, you know? Yeah.
KE: Yeah.
Smitty: Now, let’s talk about some of the wonderful things you’ve done outside the realm of music because you’ve done some really cool things with animals, humanitarian things. Talk about how you started out volunteering for the emergency response team there in L.A. County.
KE: Oh, well, that’s a team of people that goes into disaster areas that are on fire or in floods and helps remove animals from the homes when the people have been evacuated. Because I live out in the country, I’ve lived on a ranch for most of my life, I’ve been through several fires and I’ve had to evacuate my own animals and horses, and it’s a really scary time when you’re dealing with that and my heart goes out to people when I see areas on fire. Oh, I just have this urge to help, so when this opportunity came up where there’s a very good group of people in the area that are trained specifically to do this, I just come to do it and so I do it, and we take our trailers out and line up and try to go in there and help people out.
Smitty: Very cool.
KE: Then we take care of the horses, Pierce College or wherever they’re sheltered, and we just stay there all night for days on end if we need to.
Smitty: How nice.
KE: Yeah, of course, all my animals are rescue animals. All my dogs are and cats, and I’m a sucker for animals. (Both laugh.)
Smitty: Well, that’s cool. I think that’s a very heartfelt and very cool thing to do, yeah.
KE: Yeah, yeah. I’m into really healing [I think they’re really healing] and that’s why I’m also developing these horse programs that are growth and learning and awareness, that help you, help the person become more aware of their own surroundings and the person that they are. They’re very enlightening programs, but you work with the horses on the ground. That’s a whole ‘nother area that interests me and makes me a better person too, I think.
Smitty: How cool. So now, what are you up to now? You’re touring?
KE: Yeah, we’re getting ready for the Temecula Wine & Music Festival at the end of the month, or actually in May, first part of May, and I’m doing some recording. I did a recording. I’ve got Steve Oliver playing on a tune of mine right now, that and I think we’re gonna be playing together in Temecula, and then I’m going to Spain with Christopher Cross in June and another festival, I’ve got Waikoloa, the music festival in Hawaii [The Great Waikoloa Food, Wine & Music Festival and Dolphin Days Summer Fest], and want to record another original record this year, so probably in the fall we’ll get that put together.
Smitty: Very cool. So you’re gonna let me know when you finish that project?
KE: Oh, are you kidding? You’ll be the first to know.
Smitty: (Laughs.)
KE: Honest.
Smitty: Oh, thank you. Wow, well, we certainly look forward to that. And let’s see, people can learn more about you on your Web site and all that stuff?
KE: Yeah. Come and be my friend. (Laughs.)
Smitty: Yes, I am already your friend, my friend, on My Space.
KE: Yes.
