Mark Warr - Builder of Warr Guitars, he thinks
Brian's bitchin'!
Not only does he build a great guitar, but he's a super nice guy as well!
Just check out the ultra- cool Fresno-Series strings for nasty, evil axis tones!
Emmett Chapman - Inventor of the Stick® has given Brian a full endorsement of his efforts on the Stick®.
March 25,1996 he wrote:
Hello Brian:
I watched your video and wanted to let you
know I enjoyed it all
the "walking Stick", the loose and natural attitude, physical
right hand, and your singing which I always respond to.
Your jazz bass line has come a long way and
is a force in its own right.
It remains steady yet is versatile ,variable, and doesn't
succumb to automatic devices. You slow down you melodic themes
while using it - nice concentration!
I
also got the briefest glimpse of the CBS spot. Is that all
I'll be looking forward to announcing and describing your recorded
materials in the future. How is your instrument holding up?
All the Best,
Emmett Chapman
Applied Research and Technology - a New York based effects processing company, (music stuff) has given Brian a full sponsorship, as well as having him perform at Annual International Trade Shows.
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Brian Kenney Fresno has caught the eye of the good folks at Bill Graham Presents - who book the historic Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, and has performed there recently with: |
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Willie Nelson, Los Lobos, They Might Be Giants, Judas Priest, David Byrne,Richard Thompson, King Crimson, Ratdog, Ozomatli, Yonder Mountain String Band, Keller Williams, Les Claypool's Flying Frog Brigade, and Yngwie Malmsteen among others. |
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Most of the
wonderful pictures on this site are provided by David J. Grossman. |
Brian Kenney Fresno’s Brushes With Greatness:
Brian has played for and made fans of such vastly diverse artists as:
Michael Hedges and Graham Nash
I used to play on the street
regularly, and would make a habit of setting up and
playing for performers that came through town. When
Crosby stills and Nash toured with Michael Hedges, I went down to the Selland
Arena and set up on the sidewalk outside, hoping to meet Michael Hedges.
He arrived in his mother’s station
wagon, - as she lived nearby, and gave me the
high sign as he loaded his stuff in. A
little while later, he and Graham Nash came out and watched me play for several
songs, and they were both so supportive and into it, I’m writing about
it 10 years or more later.
Michael Hedges said “WHOOOO!”
I gave them cassette tapes (remember those?) and asked them to send out David
Crosby, who came out a little while later. He watched me play a for a while, and
later sent somebody out with tickets for the show.
Michael Hedges called me later, either in response to my call, or out of the
blue, I don’t remember, but he
told me that he had really enjoyed the tape, and
was very encouraging to me, and answered my questions regarding how to find
my way as best he could.
When he called, I had just had a sneeze attack, and my face was covered in snot.
I told him exactly that, and he gave me his number to call back- he was so cool with that!
It was funny! (you can be the judge of that..)
Again with the street performing..
Whenever Stanley Jordan has come to town, I’ve gone to hang out with him
before the show. Every time, it seems that he has forgotten the previous
time. I don’t feel bad.
The last time he came through, we jammed on “MR. PC” (a John Coltrane tune)
and he seemed surprised. Then I played his guitar and he played mine! It was
fun! (I’ll be the judge of that!)
He is the most accomplished “tapper on the planet, in my
book-technically/harmonically speaking, and the bits of wisdom I have picked
up from him have been extremely helpful, and not confined to music.
1. Write everything down! When you have an idea about ANYTHING, if it’s
good, write it down! Do something about it too!
2. Slow everything down to the point that you can do it perfectly-this has
several effects: life is not perfect, but if there is an area in your
life-your practice time-where you can do things perfectly and actually be in
control, you will want to spend a lot of time there. The hardest passage in
the world can become understandable and executable if you just try slowly
enough. The speed can always be built up later.
3. Take a break, do something else you love. RELAX
I opened for Timothy Leary when he came to Club Fred in Fresno on a speaking
tour, about 1995. He was cool!
He said that my music “really tripped him out!” actually, he said I could
say that he said anything I wanted, as long as we didn’t get arrested!
I opened for Eddie Money at a local club in ??93???94????
I played violin in my friend, Roger Perry’s band, we were supposed to open
but he got sick the day of the show.
I called the promoter and got the gig playing the stick ™ solo.
I was put on acres before the Eddie, or maybe he was just super late.
This was long before I was truly Brian Kenney Fresno, and the audience was
not exactly buying it. At one point between songs, a faction started
chanting “EDDIE ! EDDIE!”
I was at first a little confused, as people used to tell me that I looked
like Eddie Van Halen, but then realized, well you know…
I told them that Eddie wasn’t even in the building yet, and they could chant
all they wanted but it wasn’t going to change anything, and that I was just
going to keep playing anyway. That got a big round of applause, and actually
seemed to win them over.
I heard about that from strangers for years. (Like I would know anybody who
paid to see Eddie Money…)
Again with the street playing.
They were playing at the wild blue- sound -checking, and I came to check
I saw that Victor Wooten did some tapping things, and I gave all of them
tapes.(tapes!), and invited them to come check out my sidewalk concert
location, which they did.
They were super- cool, and so supportive.
About a month later, I was at a music convention, and sat down in a darkened
auditorium to see Victor play. When the lights came up, I saw that I was
sitting next to Bela.
What a coincidence! (Bela can be the judge of that!)
The next time they came through town they were at a larger venue, and Victor
gave me tickets.
I opened for Alan Holdsworth at a club in Fresno in 95?
I had met him several times earlier, so it was great to be able to step up
to the plate and show him what I had been working on.
He was very into it and supportive, and always seems to actually remember my
name when I’ve seen him since.
Incidentally, the 1st time I met him, He gave me the 5ths guitar tuning I
used for “partly cloudy” C,G,D,A,E, (low to high)
Chad Wackerman was also there, and I bumped into him a month later in
S.FRISCO, at a “Band From Utopia” show- my friends “Eskimo” opened ….small
world, (but Chad can be the judge of that)-he lives in Australia
I opened for Billy Cobham in San Luis Obispo, and the next night in Fresno
1993? 1994?
He was cool and appreciative, -said he had never seen anybody with it that
together on the stick!
I got to sit at his drum kit (on the THRONE!), and partied with his band
afterwards.
Dean Brown played guitar, and as we met in SLO, he ripped the foulest,
rudest, silent but deadly fart. It was sick! I think it’s something he does
for amusement. He may have gone on to play with Michael Brecker, but I pity
the poor players in personal proximity!
In December of 93 I did an artist in residence at the Fresno Art Museum.
One day a man came through and told me “congratulations”, and some other
kind words.
A man that was with him said in effect “my brother is a Pulitzer prize
winning composer, so his words shouldn’t be taken lightly”.
I wrote down his name ( George Barati) and time passed.
Years later there was an article in the local paper about an award winning
instrumentalist who mentioned George Barati. I called him up and quizzed
him, and it turned out that Mr. Barati had been in town to oversee the
rehearsals for a piece the university had commissioned him to write - this was the period that I met him at the museum.
I nearly fell out of my chair when I looked him up on the newly blossoming
internet and saw his biography, and that his portrait had been taken by
Ansel Adams.
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