The Wonderful Phil Keaggy

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Jeff Scott

The one thing about that show that I still see very clearly in my mind was Humble Pie's backline. As as young, impressionable teenager, six full stacks of Marshall and four Acoustic 360/361 amps totally floored me.

Quite a contrast to Phil's 2 Twins (tho even that seems ridiculously loud to me these days!)

[Jeff Scott]

Is this your photo, Doug?

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Jeff Scott

Is this your photo, Doug?

Ha! Yes, indeed. I hadn't caught that he'd used that. Taken at my house before a concert with Phil and Peter. Phil was getting sick, and my mother gave him some Cloroseptic (sp?) throat stuff, which he's holding. I think she took the picture.

[Bob Womack]

Another fun Keaggy story: Keaggy flew into town to play a TV show but his gear was still out on the road in transit. The call went out: "Does anyone have a Strat and an amp Phil can borrow?" A friend of mine was one of the cameramen said, "I do!" He brought in his '70s three-bolt neck Strat and his Mesa amp and Phil was very thankful. Phil pulled the guitar out of the case, flipped off a few lines and then sighted down the neck. "Hmmm..." He held the body by the upper horn and slapped the neck on the near side, out near the headstock. He sighted again: "There." The neck angle had been off so that the strings were near the edge at the top on the bass side and the slap made the neck, which was obviously loose in the pocket, line up properly again. He explained the neck pocket looseness of the three-bolt Fenders to my friend, who went out the next day and traded that Strat for an early-'60s four-bolt Strat that he still has to this day.

Bob

[Jeff Scott]

I had a feeling you had something to do with this. Now, give proper credit to the photo!

[Doug Young]

Here's another one from the show later that evening.

Keaggy2.jpg

I don't remember the name of the guy Phil's talking to, a local colorful character, if I recall. But standing beside him with the mic stand cutting into his head is future luthier Kevin Ryan. The horrible photo composition suggests that I took this picture :-)

[Everton FC]

He's been a favourite of mine for some time. I have a lot of his early stuff, and some stuff he did w/Randy Stonehill, another great guitarist when he plays solo-acoustic.

[Stratcat77]

Wow, so cool to see so many Keaggy fans from his early days. I’ve been a fan since Love Broke Thru. The live album How the West Was One with 2nd Chapter is still probably my favorite. I’ve seen him a few times. The tour for Play Through Me was a great show. Obviously, there is no such thing as the “best’ but he’s my favorite player.

[MCDEMO1]

Saw Phil play solo twice, once with the looper and once without - fantastic both times. He rarely came up to the New England area.

Favorite albums are Beyond Nature, Acoustic Sketches, and Crimson & Blue. I'll have to look into that Jam Play course.

[AndrejG]

Phil Keaggy is out of this world.
His skill is a absolutely unique.
And he has fun with it.
Had that grace To play with him on two of my albums among other guitar greats.

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

On a personal note, I have had the opportunity to see Phil a number of times and even speak with him. He is a very humble and genuine guy.
His musicianship and guitar playing is unassailable. I wish he would just play and sing more straight up though. His infatuation with loopers and technology is too much for me. It’s what he loves to do, but he really shines when he just plays acoustically and sings.

I agree. I do enjoy his looping, etc, but when he just sings songs and accompanies himself with the guitar, it's flat out amazing. I've seen him live several times over the years and remember one show at a university. At one point he just sang a regular song and played first position chords the whole time. I can't explain it fully, but just watching him play regular chords was absolutely fascinating and it was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Every little bit of everything he played was just... special. That's the best way I could put it. I remember thinking if I could play chords and make them sound like that I'd never do anything else.

I think Phil is a great singer, too.

As I type I'm listening to his latest Acoustic Sketches project. Lots of looping and noodling and slapping, but all those beautiful tones are there that only he can produce.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0976Y54VQ...s%2C592&sr=8-1

[Everton FC]

He's been on of my favourites for some time - and not just as a guitarist.

I was ironing some clothes yesterday, listening to "Early Keaggy". Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wkudw_qoLw

[slooky]

Great person to watch and listen to live, I have seen him a few times.