Mike Keneally
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Michael Joseph Keneally (December 20, 1961–) is an American guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist and composer.
Born in Long Island, New York, he moved to San Diego, California at an early age and has been a fixture on the local music scene there since 1985 when he formed the local cult band, Drop Control. Although a well established musician in his own right, Keneally is probably most well known as former Frank Zappa "stunt guitarist" and a Zappa 1988 tour band member on both guitar and keyboards. His ascendency to that position is legendary in certain musician circles, based on Keneally's command over the vast and difficult Zappa repertoire.
Unfortunately, his stint in the Zappa touring band was short lived with the early cancellation of the 88 tour and Zappa's death in 1993. Keneally moved on from the elder Zappa's band to work with the eldest Zappa son, Dweezil on his solo albums and work released as the band, Z.
Keneally has also released nine albums of solo material since 1992 and has guested or acted as sideman on a wide variety of projects, most notably as part of Steve Vai's touring bands. He has played guitar and keyboards with Yo Miles!, Wadada Leo Smith and Henry Kaiser's Miles Davis tribute band as well as recording the 1995 album The Mistakes with Henry Kaiser, Prairie Prince, and Andy West (formerly of Dixie Dregs). He has also produced albums for several bands, including Chris Opperman's debut album.
In 1998 Vai requested that Keneally arrange and perform an album of Vai's music on acoustic piano. Recorded in 1999, the album was finally released in 2004 as "Vai: Piano Reductions Vol. 1". According to liner notes, Vai selected the songs, produced the album, and mixed it, releasing it on his own Light Without Heat label.
On August 10 2006, Keneally announced via his website that he would be re-releasing his earlier albums hat. and Boil That Dust Speck as deluxe, remastered double disc versions in the second quarter of 2007. Planned releases of Sluggo!, Half Alive In Hollywood and Soap Scum Remover will follow.
On November 28, 2006, Keneally announced that he was hired as National Music Director for the Paul Green School of Rock Music.
Contents |
[edit] Current Mike Keneally Band Line-Up
Mike Keneally - guitar, keys, lead vocals
Bryan Beller - bass, backing vocals
Rick Musallam - guitar, bouzouki, backing vocals
Joe Travers ( or Nick D'Virgilio when not on tour with Spock's Beard ) - drums
[edit] Discography
[edit] Mike Keneally Discography
hat. 1992 (deluxe, remastered version available 2007)
Boil That Dust Speck 1995 (deluxe, remastered version available 2007)
The Mistakes 1995 (supergroup including Henry Kaiser, Prairie Prince, and Andy West)
Half Alive in Hollywood 1997
Sluggo! 1998
Nonkertompf 1999
Nonkertalk 1999 (a companion interview and outtakes cd available only with the special limited edition of "Nonkertalk")
Dancing 2000
Dancing With Myself 2000 (a live companion cd available only with the special limited edition of "Dancing")
Wooden Smoke 2002
Wooden Smoke Asleep 2002 (a companion cd available only with the special limited edition of "Wooden Smoke")
Dog 2004
Pup 2004 (a companion cd available only with the first orders of the special limited edition of "Dog")
The Universe Will Provide 2004 (performed with Holland's Metropole Orkest, orchestrated by Mike Keneally and Chris Opperman)
Parallel Universe 2004 (a companion cd still available with "The Universe Will Provide")
Vai Piano Reductions, Vol. 1 2004
Guitar Therapy Live" 2006 (a "Special Edition" version sold directly from Keneally's website and limited to a signed run of 3000 contains a bonus DVD of The Mike Keneally Band's show on 7/30/05 at "The Baked Potato" in Los Angeles)
[edit] Videos and DVDs
Soap Scum Remover 1996
Dog DVD 2004 (a companion DVD available only with the first orders of the special limited edition of Dog)
Guitar Therapy DVD 2006 Live at the Baked Potato (a companion dvd available only with the first orders of the special limited edition of "Guitar Therapy (Live)")
[edit] Compilations featuring Mike Keneally
| Year | Album | Track |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 156 Strings: Nineteen Totally Original Acoustic Guitarists | "Thou Shalt Not Kill" |
| 2003 | A Fair Forgery of Pink Floyd | "Astronomy Domine" |
[edit] Frank Zappa Recordings With Mike Keneally
Broadway The Hard Way 1988
The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life 1991
Make A Jazz Noise Here 1991
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4 1991 & Volume 6 1992
Trance-Fusion 2006
[edit] Recordings With Other Artists
| Year | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Burning Bridges | "Yayo" (Accretions flexi-disc) |
| 1987 | James Morton | "Let's Make Rhythm!" |
| 1990 | Dweezil Zappa | "Confessions" |
| 1991 | Buddy Blue | "Guttersnipes and Zealots" |
| 1991 | Solomon Burke | "Homeland" |
| 1991 | Mark DeCerbo | "Baby's Not In The Mood" |
| 1991 | Screamin' Jay Hawkins | "Black Music For White People" |
| 1991 | James Morton | "Rock Studies For Drum Set" |
| 1991 | Andy Prieboy | "Montezuma Was A Man Of Faith" (EP) |
| 1991 | Andy Prieboy | "Blood and Concrete" (Original Soundtrack) |
| 1991 | Earl Thomas | "Blue Not Blues" |
| 1991 | Zappa's Universe | "Zappa's Universe" |
| 1993 | Mark Bonilla | "American Matador" |
| 1993 | Screamin' Jay Hawkins | "Stone Crazy" |
| 1993 | Negativland | "Negativconcertland" (Bootleg CD) |
| 1993 | Z | "Shampoohorn" |
| 1994 | Screamin' Jay Hawkins | "Somethin' Funny Goin' On" |
| 1994 | Jip | "Glee" |
| 1994 | Marcelo Radulovich | "Marcelo Radulovich" |
| 1994 | Earl Thomas | "Extra Soul" |
| 1994 | Robert Vaughn and the Dead River Angels | "Robert Vaughn and the Dead River Angels" |
| 1995 | Kevin Gilbert | "Supper's Ready" (Magna Carta Genesis tribute album compilation) |
| 1995 | Matthew Lien | "Bleeding Wolves" |
| 1995 | Stanley Snail | "Tales From Yesterday" (Magna Carta Yes tribute album compilation) |
| 1995 | Ultra 7 | "Trummerflora" (Accretions compilation) |
| 1995 | Z | "Music For Pets" |
| 1996 | The Hooligans | "Last Call" |
| 1997 | Mark Craney & Friends | "Something With a Pulse" |
| 1997 | Faux Pas | "This One's For the Children" |
| 1997 | The Ed Palermo Big Band | "The Ed Palermo Big Band Plays the Music of Frank Zappa" |
| 1997 | Steve Vai | "G3 - Live in Concert" |
| 1997 | Steve Vai | "Merry Axemas - A Guitar Christmas" |
| 1998 | Chris Opperman | "Oppy Music, Vol. 1: Purple, Crayon." |
| 1998 | Ultra 7 | "Trummerflora 2" (Accretions compilation) |
| 1998 | Steve Vai | "Flexable Leftovers" |
| 1999 | Mullmuzzler | "Keep It To Yourself" |
| 1999 | Mullmuzzler | "Six Pack: Multi-Artist Radio Sampler" |
| 1999 | Marcelo Radulovich | "2 Brains" |
| 1999 | Neil Sadler | "theory of forms" |
| 1999 | Kevin Gilbert, Stanley Snail | "Tribute to the Titans" (A Sampler of Great Performances from Magna Carta's Tribute Series) |
| 1999 | Steve Vai | "The Ultra Zone" |
| 2000 | Screamin' Jay Hawkins | "Best of the Bizarre Sessions: 1990-1994" |
| 2000 | Screamin' Jay Hawkins | "New Coat of Paint: Songs of Tom Waits" |
| 2000 | Nigey Lennon | "Reinventing the Wheel" |
| 2000 | The Loud Family | "Attractive Nuisance" |
| 2000 | Chris Opperman | "Klavierstücke" |
| 2000 | The Persuasions | "Frankly A Cappella - The Persuasions Sing Zappa" |
| 2000 | Steve Vai | "The 7th Song" |
| 2000 | Dweezil Zappa | "Automatic" |
| 2001 | James LaBrie | "Mullmuzzler 2" |
| 2001 | NDV (Nick D'Virgilio) | "Karma" |
| 2001 | Trummerflora Collective | "No Stars Please" |
| 2001 | Steve Vai | "Alive In An Ultra World" |
| 2002 | Napoleon Murphy Brock | "Balls" |
| 2002 | Steve Vai | "Elusive Light and Sound, Vol. 1" |
| 2002 | Andy West and Rama | "Rama 1" |
| 2003 | Bryan Beller | "View" |
| 2003 | Willie Oteri | "Spiral Out" |
| 2003 | Steve Vai | "Mystery Tracks - Archives, Vol. 3" |
| 2003 | Steve Vai | "The Infinite Steve Vai: An Anthology" |
| 2004 | Ossi Duri | "X" |
| 2004 | Chris Opperman | "Concepts of Non-Linear Time" |
| 2004 | Henry Kaiser & Wadada Leo Smith | "Yo Miles! Sky Garden" |
| 2005 | Anthony Curtis | "Book of the Key" |
| 2005 | Henry Kaiser & Wadada Leo Smith | "Yo Miles! Upriver" |
| 2005 | Chris Opperman | "Beyond the Foggy Highway" (Live 2002 - 2004) |
| 2005 | Mike Portnoy | "Prime Cuts" |
| 2005 | Ulver | "Blood Inside" |
| 2005 | Andy West and Rama | "Drum Nation, Vol. 2" |
