Kiki Ebsen

Her CD has received substantive critical acclaim. The impetus behind the album is taking the advice her father Buddy had given her many years before his death. One track, "Missing You", has special meaning for Kiki. As noted by music reviewer Jean-Keith Fagon, Kiki "unearthed the yearning torch song “Missing You” when sifting through a box of her father’s old scripts and songbooks after his passing. She began performing the arresting piano and voice confessional coauthored by her father during her own concerts." Reviewer George W. Harris of Jazz Weekly noted of Scarecrow Sessions, "Her voice is somewhere between Astrud Gilberto sotto voce and Broadway, able to coo softly on a creatively intimate samba with Loeb on “Comes Love” or hit the climaxes just right on a luminous “Over the Rainbow.” Music reviewer Preston Frazier included Scarecrow Sessions as no. 5 on his top-10 "Best of Jazz and Fusion Jazz listing. Said Frazier, "The Scarecrow Sessions give Kiki Ebsen a chance to showcase her excellent arranging chops. Who would have guessed that the song “If I Only Had A Brain” could sound so substantial? Part of the album’s success also lies in Ebsen’s classically trained and soulful voice."

Ebsen's critically acclaimed solo releases include Red, Love Loud, Kiki, Cool Songs, Vol. 1, and The Beauty Inside, which includes her work prior to 2014. She can be seen and heard on music videos featuring Tracy Chapman and Michael Bolton as well as live concerts video/DVDs from Christopher Cross, Belinda Carlisle, Namie Amuro, and Al Jarreau.

With the advent of Scarecrow Sessions, Kiki Ebsen has established herself as a solo performer and viable jazz singer, solo, with a trio, or in front of an orchestra. The album, which includes historical photos and stories behind the songs, was completed in time for Father's Day 2014; Kickstarter contributors received their copies in advance of the official release. Scarecrow Sessions features well-known jazz musicians including John Patitucci on bass and Chuck Loeb on guitar, Henry Hey on piano, and Clint de Ganon on drums. David Mann produced the album, wrote the arrangements, and played saxophone.

Ebsen has opened for Christopher Cross, Peter Cetera, Emmylou Harris, and Al Stewart. Notable solo performances include the NAMM Show, FAR-West Official Showcase, Folk Alliance International Featured Showcase Artist, The Maui Music Festival, Java Jazz Festival, Waikaloa Music and Wine Festival, Tin Pan South, Pacific Rim Jazz Festival, KSBR 25th Birthday Bash, The KIFM Anniversary Party and the Temecula Music and Wine Festival. Ebsen made her touring debut in Scotland during August, 2014.

On December 14, 2014, Kiki was among the many accomplished musicians who volunteered to join together at the famed Canyon Club and contribute their time, talents, and auction items to the "Mighty Met Acoustic Flashback Benefit in behalf beloved 1970s KMET DJ, Pat Kelley, in his battle with multiple sclerosis.

Ebsen's inaugural CD, Red, was produced by hit smooth jazz producer Paul Brown and features inspired performances from Boney James, Buzz Feiten, and Paul Jackson, Jr. It was dubbed "the kind of debut most artists can only dream of creating" by the Mac Report. Her sophomore effort, Love Loud, made it into Muse's "Muse Top 10" of 2002. She later reunited with Paul Brown to create Kiki, which was added to Steve Quirk's Fusion Flavors Best of 2005 list. Says Quirk, "Kiki is a sleeping giant in contemporary music, who deserves to be heard." She released her first cover CD in 2009, Cool Songs Vol. 1, featuring classic pop tunes such as "Time After Time," "It's Too Late," and "Diary." Kiki's music appears on several compilations worldwide. Today she divides her time between writing, recording, touring solo (and with select artists) and nonprofit work with T.H.E. Ranch, an equine rescue and educational organization that she founded.

In 2002, Kiki renewed her love of horses by rescuing a foal from a feed lot where it was to be slaughtered for meat. She went to rescue 10 more horses from economic distress. During that time, she formed The Healing Equine Ranch. a 501c3. Using a herd of rescued horses, she teaches the language of horses and how to connect and build relationships from the ground up. Her mission statement is "to empower, enlighten and educate humans through natural interaction with horses." For the past five years, Ebsen has hosted many fund-raising concerts to support her passion. Often, a portion of the proceeds of several of her solo albums has been directed to support the work of T.H.E. Ranch, and others among her talented musician friends have similarly participated in donating their time and talents to ranch concerts to help raise funds for these rescue and educational projects.

Ebsen began writing songs as a teenager, and continues to compose to this day. Several of Ebsen's CD releases to date feature strictly her own songs, including Red, Love Loud, and The Beauty Inside. Three of Ebsen's compositions have been covered by sax artists Eric Marienthal, Boney James, and Jessy J. Kiki's vocals appear on Eric Marienthal's album One Touch (GRP Records, 1993) in the song, "That's the Way", a song co-written by Dave Koz, Ebsen, and Randy Hall. Ebsen's composition, "Blue", which is included on Boney James' Backbone album (Warner Brothers, 1994), features James on tenor saxophone and Ebsen on keyboards. Saxophonist Jessy J. included Ebsen's composition, "Turquoise Street", on her 2008 album, Tequila Moon (Peak/Concord). Her father played the drums whenever he had time from television and personal appearances.

Kiki was an extra in the film Back To The Future, playing a musician in the band audition scene with Huey Lewis. Kiki's voice is featured in the 1993 soundtrack for the film, Bodies, Rest and Motion, starring Bridget Fonda and Eric Stoltz.

Kiki Ebsen (born January 14, 1958) is a singer/songwriter/keyboard player from Southern California. She has performed and toured nationally and internationally with many award-winning musicians, including Boz Scaggs, Al Jarreau, Christopher Cross, and Tracy Chapman. From 1994-2012 she released five solo CDs, issuing her sixth CD, Scarecrow Sessions (Painted Pony Media) on September 30, 2014. The result of a successful Kickstarter project, the Scarecrow Sessions album is a collection of jazz standards, a tribute to her father, Buddy Ebsen's, life and career. Today, Ebsen divides her time among writing, recording and performing music, and works with rescued horses, developing educational programs with her California nonprofit organization, The Healing Equine Ranch.