Mike Keneally

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Photo by Andy Newcombe
Photo by Andy Newcombe

Michael Joseph Keneally (born December 20, 1961) is an American guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist and composer. All Music Guide says: "With his wide-ranging talents and ability to be creative in almost any musical situation, Keneally is the leading progressive rock genius of the post-Zappa era."

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.

Keneally's stint in the Zappa touring band was short-lived with the early cancellation of the 1988 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 11 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 , Norwegian legends Ulver 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 May 1, 2007, Keneally's Exowax label re-released his debut album "hat." and "Boil That Dust Speck" as deluxe, remastered double disc versions. Exowax has obtained Keneally's entire back catalog from Immune Records. Planned releases of "Sluggo!", "Half Alive In Hollywood", "The Mistakes" 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.

He has also been announced to tour with Dethklok as a guitarist.

Contents

[edit] Current Mike Keneally Band Line-Up

[edit] Discography

[edit] Mike Keneally Discography

  • hat. - 1992
  • Boil That Dust Speck - 1994
  • The Mistakes - 1995
  • Half Alive in Hollywood - 1997
  • The Tar Tapes Vol. 1 - 1997
  • The Tar Tapes Vol. 2 - 1998
  • Sluggo! - 1998
  • Nonkertompf - 1999
  • Nonkertalk - 1999
  • Dancing - 2000
  • Wooden Smoke - 2001
  • Dog - 2004
  • The Universe Will Provide - 2004
  • Vai Piano Reductions, Vol. 1 - 2004
  • Guitar Therapy Live - 2006
  • Wine and Pickles - 2008

[edit] Videos and DVDs

  • Soap Scum Remover - 1996
  • Dog DVD - 2004
  • Guitar Therapy DVD - 2006
  • hat. Limited Edition DVD - 2007
  • Boil That Dust Speck DVD - 2007

[edit] Compilations featuring Mike Keneally

Year Album Track
1997 Giant Tracks: A Tribute to Gentle Giant No God's a Man
2002 156 Strings: Nineteen Totally Original Acoustic Guitarists Thou Shalt Not Kill
2003 A Fair Forgery of Pink Floyd Astronomy Domine
2006 After the Storm: A Benefit Album for the Survivors of Hurricane Katrina Time Table

[edit] Frank Zappa Recordings With Mike Keneally

[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"
2007 Various Artists "Healing Force: The Songs of Albert Ayler"
2007 Anthony Setola "Interstellar Appeal"

[edit] External links

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