An Evening With Phil Keaggy
Ranked #6,940 in Music, #190,405 overall
Phil Keaggy: Best Guitar Player in the World
Philip Tyler Keaggy is an American acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist who has released more than 50 albums and contributed to many more recordings in both the contemporary Christian music and mainstream markets. He is a seven-time recipient of the GMA Dove Award for Instrumental Album of the Year, and was twice nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album.Keaggy was raised in a small farmhouse in Hubbard, Ohio with nine brothers and sisters, and began playing guitar at age ten on a Sears Silvertone guitar. He went to high school in Austintown, Ohio graduating in 1970. He is missing half of the middle finger on his right hand due to a childhood accident at age 4 involving a water pump. He has frequently been listed as one of the world's top-3 fingerstyle as well as fingerpicking guitarists by Guitar Player Magazine readers' polls.
Phil Keaggy: 1960's
Phil Keaggy was a member of a mid-1960s garage rock band called the Squires; one of their songs, which he co-wrote, appears on a compilation album called Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 9.Keaggy began professionally playing music in the late 1960s with drummer John Sferra. The two longtime friends, with the addition of bassist Dan Pecchio, formed a band called Glass Harp in 1968. A major turning point for the trio was their winning of an Ohio area's "Battle of the Bands." One of event's judges happened to be an associate of the celebrated producer Lewis Merenstein, whom he alerted to the hot young threesome. At the time, Merenstein was fresh from producing albums for many successful artists including The Spencer Davis Group, Turley Richards and Van Morrison's Moondance (Merenstein produced Astral Weeks as well) and had just been voted Producer of the Year by Rolling Stone. Merenstein was persuaded to fly down from New York to see what the fuss was all about. Upon hearing the band perform, Merenstein was so inspired that Decca Records signed Glass Harp to a multi-record deal. A short time later, the band found itself in New York's Greenwich Village recording its first album at Jimi Hendrix' Electric Lady Studios with Lewis Merenstein as producer. As a Decca Records artist, the band began to open for such artists as Iron Butterfly, Yes, Traffic, and Chicago. At one point, future James Gang and Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh was being considered to join New Hudson Exit (the band Phil Keaggy was in prior to the formation of Glass Harp) but the other members of the band felt Walsh's style was too dynamic. Years later, Amboy Dukes guitar player Ted Nugent was quoted as saying "I don't know what happened to that Phil Keaggy. He could have saved the world with his guitar" in Guitar Player Magazine.
Phil Keaggy - Glass Harp
Phantasmagorical: Master and Musician, Vol. 2
Phantasmagorical: Master and Musician, Vol. 2
Amazon Price: $13.99 (as of 06/01/2012)
Upon the tail end of Phil Keaggy's most ambitious concert tour of his long and illustrious career - in which he has brought to life on stage his 1978 instrumental recording The Master & The Musician - Keaggy now releases his 2008 encore entitled Phantasmagorical: Master & Musician 2. Like the first, this album has musical scope and dimension that demonstrates Keaggy's mastery of melody within the ever-inventive musical signature guitars with a cornucopia of other instruments. "It is special to me because I have some really good friends on the album," states Phil. "It is not like a solo thing like what I've done with other albums where I am playing most of the instruments. It's a nice stirring in of other musicians." One of the other musicians happens to be Phil's son, Ian. "My son is on the album; which in itself makes this a special album to me. We wrote a song on the album appropriately titled "Father and Son". I also co-wrote two songs with one of the members of The Master and Musician Band, Tom Shinness. With recorders, clarinets, strings, bass, upright bass - a variety of different kinds of sounds and instruments - this does reminds me of The Master and The Musician," reflects Phil. On the present nation-wide tour, Phil Keaggy closes his concert with one of the new songs from Phantasmagorical: Master & Musician 2 entitled "Forever to Joy". The audiences have responded with great enthusiasm recognizing that as good as Phil Keaggy was 30 years ago - he is only that much the better in 2008.
Master and the Musician Tour
Phil Keaggy - Shades of Green
Phil Keaggy: 1970's
On Valentines Day in 1970, Keaggy's mother was involved in a fatal car accident. He was heavily involved in drugs at the time, and that same day was badly hurt by an LSD trip. In the midst of this tragedy his sister told him about Jesus, and he became a Christian.Having recorded three albums with Glass Harp, Keaggy left the band in 1972 and released his first solo album the following year entitled What A Day. Keaggy married his wife Bernadette the following summer. He then took a brief vacation from recording on his own and only toured in support of other artists like Love Song, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Paul Clark, and Nancy Honeytree. Keaggy returned to the studio in 1976 with Love Broke Thru which included his version of the Randy Stonehill/Keith Green/Todd Fishkind classic song of the same name, which at Keith Green's insistence was the first released recording of the song. During the summer of 1977 Keaggy went on an eighteen-city tour of the western United States with 2nd Chapter of Acts and "a band called David". This was captured in the live triple album How the West Was One. The only release of the Phil Keaggy Band also occurred in 1977, Emerging. The Phil Keaggy Band consisted of Keaggy, Lynn Nichols, Phil Madeira, Dan Cunningham and Terry Andersen. In 1978, Keaggy released his first critically acclaimed instrumental album entitled Master and the Musician.
The Song Within
The Song Within
Amazon Price: $10.27 (as of 06/01/2012)
Legendary guitar virtuoso Phil Keaggy has created an all-new masterpiece with this collection of instrumentals performed on the amazing McPherson acoustic guitar. Contemplative, melodic, and beautifully recorded, The Song Within raises the bar on Phil's already stellar recording legacy. Phil Keaggy has earned worldwide acclaim for his mastery of the guitar. His ability to play virtually any style with freedom and sensitivity is admired universally by guitar players and music lovers alike. His instrumental work includes such classic albums as The Master and the Musician and several Dove Award-winning albums including The Wind and the Wheat and Beyond Nature. For three years in a row, he was voted one of the top finger-style guitarists in the world by readers of Guitar Player Magazine. The Song Within is an all new acoustic instrumental album which offers a fresh collection of Phil's trademark memorable melodies and gorgeous atmospheric settings. The unmatched tone of Phil's McPherson acoustic guitar is joined by piano, cello, Irish whistles, strings, percussion and other instruments on songs that range from ambient to groovy. Perfect for lightening the hearts of listeners everywhere!
Phil Keaggy: 1980's
The Keaggy family then moved to Leawood, Kansas in August,1979. Their first daughter, Alicia, was born there in March, 1980. The Keaggys left Leawood in 1983 and settled in Costa Mesa, California. Their second daughter, Olivia, was born on Valentine's Day, 1984, and their son, Ian, was born in 1987.Keaggy was signed to the Contemporary Christian music label Sparrow Records in the 1980s, where he released a string of albums including Town to Town, Ph'lip Side, and Play Thru Me. In 1988, Keaggy would team up with Stonehill, drummer Joe English (who had previously played with Paul McCartney and Wings) , singer Margaret Becker, and others for the Compassion All Star Band's album One by One.
In 1988, Keaggy won his first Dove Award for his second instrumental project, The Wind and the Wheat. Keaggy's second Dove Award came in 1992 for his Celtic-influenced Beyond Nature. From 1998 to 2001, Keaggy dominated the "Instrumental Record" category in the Dove Awards winning awards for Invention, Acoustic Sketches, Majesty and Wonder, and Lights of Madrid.
In 1989, Keaggy teamed up with Randy Stonehill, Russ Taff, Derri Daugherty, Mark Heard, Steve Taylor, Rick Cua and other musicians to create Phil Keaggy and Sunday's Child: a tribute of sorts to 1960s bands like The Beatles. That same year, Keaggy would hit the road with Stonehill for a tour by The Keaggy/Stonehill Band, which included Swirling Eddie David Raven on drums and Daniel Amos bassist Tim Chandler. In the fall of 1989 the Keaggys relocated once again, leaving the sunny shores and crowded freeways of southern California behind and moved to Nashville, Tennessee where they reside currently. A few years later, Keaggy would perform at former Beatle Paul McCartney's sister-in-law's wedding. Keaggy had met Laura Eastman, sister of Linda McCartney, while the former worked at CBN. After the wedding, Keaggy fulfilled a lifelong dream by jamming with McCartney in a bedroom at the Eastman family estate, site of the wedding.
Rare Phil Keaggy from 1980
Phil Keaggy - The Reunion
Phil Keaggy - County Down
Phil Keaggy - Fragile Forest
Phil Keaggy - Fare Thee Well
Phil Keaggy - Castle's Call / Pilgrim's Flight
Phil Keaggy - Addison's Walk
Phil Keaggy - The Wind and the Wheat
The Wind And The Wheat
The Wind And The Wheat
Amazon Price: $39.97 (as of 06/01/2012)
Phil Keaggy: 1990's
Keaggy followed Sunday's Child in 1990 with all-out rock album Find Me In These Fields and in 1993 with Crimson and Blue, a bluesy rock album geared to the Christian market that included a cover of Van Morrison's "When Will I Ever Learn to Live in God". That album was released simultaneously in the mainstream market as Blue, with a modified tracklist and some reworked songs. The most significant differences are the inclusion of three different songs (Keaggy's cover of the Badfinger song, "Baby Blue"; "All Our Wishes"; and "The Further Adventures of..." from the Revelator EP) and the exclusion of five songs from Crimson and Blue ("Love Divine," "Reunion Of Friends," "Stone Eyes," "I Will Be There," and "Nothing But The Blood.") Once again, an impressive list of musicians joined Keaggy for these releases, including Steve Taylor, Rick Cua, Phil Madeira, Charlie Peacock, Sam Bush, John Mark Painter (of Fleming and John), Ashley Cleveland, Jimmy Abegg, fellow 1970s Keaggy Band members Lynn Nichols and Phil Madeira, and John Sferra of Glass Harp. The band that toured in support of the album featured Wade Jaynes (of Chagall Guevara) on bass, Phil Madeira on Hammond B-3 organ, and John Sferra on drums. Acoustic Cafe
Acoustic Cafe
Amazon Price: $6.68 (as of 06/01/2012)
The first installment in the Acoustic Cafe series, award-winning artist Phil Keaggy & friends perform intimate acoustic renditions of timeless love songs.
Phil Keaggy - Maker of the Universe
Dream Again
Dream Again
Amazon Price: $9.00 (as of 06/01/2012)
1. Dream Again 2. Why 3. Redemption 4. Thank You For Today 5. Revive Me 6. There With You 7. Traveling Light 8. Micah 6:8 9. Kathy's Song 10. It's You And Me 11. How Can I Thank You 12. Love Is The Reason
Phil Keaggy - Chase the Bad Away
Beyond Nature
Beyond Nature
Amazon Price: $9.71 (as of 06/01/2012)
Let the World Know Your Opinion
Great DVD's Featuring Phil Keaggy
Time 1
Time 1
Amazon Price: $36.27 (as of 06/01/2012)
Phil Keaggy is one of contemporary Christian music's pioneers. A superb musician, his music has always been more a reflection of who he is (a musician who is a Christian) and not so much what he is (a Christian musician). In honor of his 30-plus-year career, Myrrh Records released a two-volume set showcasing some of the more interesting recorded moments in Keaggy's catalog. It's tough to pick between the two, but volume 1 perhaps illustrates a little more clearly the diversity Keaggy displayed over three decades. CCM radio fans will recognize "Love Divine," a nice little Beatlesque number that charted high several years ago. "March of the Clouds," one of Keaggy's personal faves, is a masterful and beautiful instrumental off of 1987's The Wind and the Wheat. Both "Theme" and "Where Is My Maker?" capture the late-'70s sound of the Phil Keaggy Band, a rock fusion outfit whose music (not to mention the outfits in the CD's cover notes!) will inspire some grins. "Do Lord," a 1971 live track from a Glass Harp opening gig for the Kinks at New York's Carnegie Hall, is another historical milestone, as is "Little Ones," a highly charged ode to unborn children and the abortion issue, recorded in 1980. Considering that a good deal of his recorded work is no longer available, Keaggy fans owe it to themselves to pick up both volumes of Time. --Michael Lyttle
Time 2
Time 2
Amazon Price: $24.24 (as of 06/01/2012)
Follow Me on Twitter
Phil Keaggy: 2000's
On October 22, 2000, Keaggy, John Sferra and Daniel Pecchio reunited as Glass Harp for a concert in their hometown of Youngstown, Ohio at a sold out Powers Auditorium. Joining the band for the occasion was conductor Isaiah Jackson and members of the Youngstown Symphony. The following year saw the commercial release of the reunion concert in the form of the live album Strings Attached. Although the album is largely devoted to the band's previous work, it also includes Glass Harp's take on several songs from Phil's solo career. In 2003, the band released Hourglass, their first album of new material since 1972. Stark Raving Jams, a triple disc collection of live performances spanning from 1970 to 2003, was released the following year. Like Strings Attached, this collection also featured performances of some of Phil's solo material. Glass Harp's first three studio albums have since been re-issued on CD, each one including a previously unreleased bonus track.In 2004, Keaggy guest performed with the indie band Dispatch for several songs during The Last Dispatch. It was to be Dispatch's last performance together and became the largest concert in independent music history.
Keaggy also guest performed on two songs of Rufus Tree's 2005 album "Dying To Live".
Keaggy continues to record and tour regularly. He is currently working on a record with former P.O.D. guitarist Jason Truby.
Jammed!
Jammed!
Amazon Price: $16.38 (as of 06/01/2012)
From one of the world's most loved and revered guitarists comes the instrumental rock recording Jammed!. Jammed! Is the definition of fun and amazing use of God given gifts! Jammed! is a comprehensive instrumental project spanning the genres of Rock, Blues, and Funk seasoned by elements of Fusion and Jazz. Fans will experience firsthand why Phil Keaggy is widely considered one of the best guitar players in the world. Jammed! features production notes penned by Phil himself sharing his thoughts and personal stories behind each of these tracks giving fans an inside look at this virtuoso and his boundless mastery of the guitar.
Phil Keaggy Inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame 2007
Amazing Grace - Phil Keaggy Style
Phil Keaggy - Salvation Army Band
Buy MP3's by Phil Keaggy
An Interview with Phil Keaggy
True Believers
Let us know you visited today...
-
-
MomwithAHook
Sep 23, 2010 @ 2:28 am | delete
- This is an excellent tribute to Phil Keaggy. My husband has been influenced greatly by this man and his music. In fact it was he that introduced me to this guys guitar playing. It's really amazing to see his life unfold from the early 60's into the present like this. He still is by far my fav. guitar player well, outside my husband of course. :)
-
-
-
Rene
Aug 2, 2010 @ 12:51 am | delete
- Thank you for a very nice tribute to an incredibly gifted guitarist, a most humble human being, and dear friend. I had the incredible experience of meeting Phil back in the 60's when we were both getting deep into the music of the "British Invasion", mainly the Beatles, and had a lot of fun exchanging guitar licks and jamming together. There is no doubt in my mind that his music has made this world a better place...
-
-
-
Dale
Nov 30, 2009 @ 10:14 am | delete
- Outstanding article Jeff, a wonderful collection of videos and historical information on a very gifted man.
-
-
-
Mindy
Oct 14, 2009 @ 1:33 pm | delete
- Phil Keagy is a modern-day David, who danced before the Lord. I grew up listening to his music and appreciated it then as I do now. He is humble yet bold for the Lord, and allows God's creativity to blow people away. My bro. in the Lord.
-
-
-
_Joan_
Oct 2, 2009 @ 11:10 pm | delete
- Love Phil Keaggy. Thanks for making this lens.
-
- Load More
Two of Us : Groovemasters Vol. 10
Two of Us : Groovemasters Vol. 10
Amazon Price: $13.01 (as of 06/01/2012)
As Chopin said "Nothing sounds more beautiful than a guitar, save perhaps two guitars." Phil Keaggy is a legendary guitarist and performer and Mike Pachelli is an extremely in demand session player in the LA studio scene...and they just happen to be childhood friends! This is the album they've been wanting to record their whole life and it shows. Instrumental duets on acoustic guitar that range from playful to beautiful to butt kicking! Enjoy!
Phil Keaggy: Discography
- What A Day, 1973
- Love Broke Thru, 1976
- Emerging Phil Keaggy Band, 1977, reissued on CD in 2000 as Re-Emerging minus one song plus four new ones
- The Master and the Musician, 1978 instrumental album, later reissued on CD with bonus track
- Ph'lip Side, 1980, released in two versions (one song different and in different sequence)
- Town to Town, 1981
- Play Thru Me, 1982
- Underground, 1983, later reissued on CD with bonus tracks and different track sequence
- Getting Closer, 1985, later reissued on CD with a different track sequence and bonus material
- Way Back Home, (original) 1986
- The Wind and the Wheat, 1987, instrumental album
- Phil Keaggy and Sunday's Child, 1988
- Find Me In These Fields, 1990
- Beyond Nature, 1992, instrumental album
- Revelator, 1993, eight track EP preview of the album Crimson and Blue, with abridged and extended versions of "John the Revelator"
- Crimson and Blue, 1993
- Blue, 1994
- Way Back Home, (reissue) 1994, heavily revised version of 1986 album
- True Believer, 1995
- Acoustic Sketches, 1996, instrumental album
- 220, 1996, instrumental album
- On The Fly, 1997, instrumental album
- Phil Keaggy, 1998
- Premium Jams, 1999, double instrumental album
- Music to Paint By: Still Life, 1999, instrumental album
- Music to Paint By: Electric Blue, 1999, instrumental album
- Music to Paint By: Splash, 1999, instrumental album
- Music to Paint By: Brushstrokes, 1999, instrumental album
- Majesty and Wonder, 1999, Christmas album
- An Angel's Christmas, 1999, Christmas album
- Inseparable, 2000, released in a two disc version (21 tracks), then later in the year as a single disc (17 tracks)
- Uncle Duke, 2000, lyrics written originally as poetry by Phil's uncle Dave "Duke" Keaggy
- Zion, 2000
- Lights of Madrid, 2000, instrumental album
- Cinemascapes, 2001, instrumental album
- In the Quiet Hours, 2001, instrumental album
- Hymnsongs, 2002, instrumental album
- Freehand (Acoustic Sketches II), 2003, acoustic instrumental album
- Special Occasions, 2003
- It's Personal, 2004, lyrics originally written as poetry by Keith Moore
- The Uncle Duke Project, 2005, re-issue of Uncle Duke, with bonus material
- Jammed!, 2006, instrumental album. Selections and remixes from Premium Jams, with bonus material.
- Phil Kägi, 2006, two-disc set from the 2006 Swiss Tour (Switzerland release only)
- Roundabout, 2006, instrumental album
- Dream Again, 2006
- Acoustic Cafe, 2007
- The Song Within, 2007, acoustic instrumental album
by AslanBooks
I am a CS Lewis fan and honorary member of the Inklings (I wish). I love fishing, dogs, books and so much more.
Purple Star Lenses:
Share Your...
more »
- 64 featured lenses
- Winner of 12 trophies!
- Top lens » Guns That Changed the World: The Colt Peacemaker
