Huddled in a lavish room, Kiefer Shackelford, Ben Carr, and Nate Smith performed as FATHERS at Wonderland Park, one of the first times the trio performed material exclusively from their self-titled debut. The 30-minute performance was filmed in a style reminiscent of the Bill Evans Trio’s appearance on the television show The Jazz Set from 1972. FATHERS offered a stripped-back rendition of 7 of the 8 tracks on the LP, including single “PEARL,” which exudes the liveliness of jazz pop fusion. FIGURE 8 was the only track left off the performance. Offering an interview of their creative insight and process throughout the set, FATHERS let an audience listen in on what piqued their inspirations.

Recorded in about 48 hours of improvised sessions, FATHERS harnessed their skills as producers in the studio and high-level experience as multi-instrumentalists in collaboration. Smith brought the collective together during his residency at Montreal Jazz Festival, leading FATHERS to tour in the U.S. and Japan. As they pushed each other through a collaborative streak, keyboardist Kiefer Shackelford, who goes by the moniker Kiefer, bassist Ben Carr, most known as CARRTOONS, and drummer Nate Smith are now officially introducing this work through Blue Note Records, with Kenneth Blume, better known as Kenny Beats, serving as producer and creative director.

“EYE LEVEL” is vibrant as a starter, with “PATCHWORK” following in the same vein. With FATHERS in action, “PEARL” then picks up again nearing full swing at periods while reeling back in the next. The grooviness is most apparent in “STUB,” where the synths whirl over the keys, drums, and bass in a synchronous flow. At the halfway point of the self-titled debut, “LEAK” turns unpredictable in tempo before transitioning into the laid-back “TOMORROW, AGAIN.” On the tail end, “FRONT YARD” keeps it mellow before it lands into the contemplative finale of “FIGURE 8.”

Shackelford, Carr, and Smith are some of the most renowned and award-winning jazz performers in the game today, making FATHERS a powerhouse of a unit. As Carr put it, “that hunger that we all have independently become this superbeing” once the three united. Even so, Blume was vital as producer and creative director, helping get these tracks out to the world from just a spontaneous recording in his work-in-progress Putnam Hill studio. FATHERS as a self-titled debut was essentially a test drive, but it became the vital moments of their synergy that brought the record together at last.

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