About Us

Celebrating the musical genius and vast catalog of late composer Frank Zappa, One Shot Deal is comprised of musicians from the original, Grammy Award-winning lineup of Zappa Plays Zappa. During their time with ZPZ, one reviewer referred to bassist Pete Griffin (ZPZ 2006-2011), percussionist Billy Hulting and guitarist Jamie Kime (ZPZ 2006-2012), drummer and Zappa “Vaultmeister” Joe Travers (ZPZ 2006-2013), saxophonist/ keyboardist/vocalist Scheila Gonzalez (ZPZ 2006-2020), and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Ben Thomas (ZPZ 2009-2016), as “the best band Frank never had”.

Following their individual ZPZ tenures, they would all go on to acquire a comprehensive list of touring and recording credits before reuniting in 2022 to play a limited series of shows at distinguished Los Angeles jazz club The Baked Potato. Subsequent to that sold-out run, they collectively agreed that the music of Frank Zappa was much too important – and they also had far too much fun playing it together again! – for the group to merely be a “one shot deal”. Since then, they’ve been performing extensively throughout Southern California and look
forward to touring nationally in 2024.

Ben Thomas is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, storyteller and performer with over 30 years of live performances. He toured the world with his Zappa compatriots as lead vocalist, trumpeter, trombonist and rhythm guitarist in Zappa Plays Zappa from 2009-2016, where he developed the towel-based underground sleeper post-show, after-shower hit : Slap Attack!  He’s currently the lead vocalist of the Danny Carey UnTrio – a band formed around the eponymous Tool drummer, and performs and records with the Neo-Soul singer Aloe Blacc. Ben also writes and performs in the collaborative experimental prog/rock/metal/funk group, The Bird Brain with fellow Zappa alum Mike Keneally in support of their new self-titled EP. He also likes to swim a lot; come find him in the shallow end and greet him with a friendly but aggressive towel-snap!

Multi-Instrumentalist Scheila Gonzalez is a founding member of Dweezil Zappa’s highly acclaimed group, Zappa Plays Zappa. For the past fifteen years she has toured the world performing the music of Frank Zappa, arguably some of the most demanding music ever written. As a part of this ensemble, she has garnered rave reviews and earned a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Since 2017, Scheila has worked with Colin Hay (Grammy award winning songwriter and lead vocalist of Men At Work) as a member of the Colin Hay Band and Men At Work. And, in 2017 she recorded and toured with DREAMCAR, the supergroup featuring members of No Doubt and AFI.

When not on tour, Scheila maintains a busy schedule as an in-demand freelance and session musician. Currently she also serves as the saxophonist and keyboard player for beloved Bay Area band The Mother Hips, playing their rootsy brand of California soul.

Over the years this versatile musician has performed and recorded with artists such as Rod Stewart, Gwen Stefani, Missing Persons, Wayne Newton, Chicago, The Manhattan Transfer, Sheila E., Garth Brooks, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Joe Williams, Diane Schuur, The DIVA Jazz Orchestra with Nancy Wilson, The Temptations and The Four Tops, to name a few. During her time with Dweezil’s band, she has had the opportunity to share the stage with such notable artists as Steve Vai, George Duke, Terry Bozzio, Warren DiMartini, Chester Thompson, Vinnie Colaiuta, Eric Johnson and jazz legend, Chick Corea. Some of her television appearances include Jimmy Kimmel Live, Dancing With The Stars, American Idol, The Tonight Show, Conan O’Brien, Craig Ferguson, The Voice and the BET Music Awards. She can also be seen in the Christopher Guest film For Your Consideration. 

Jamie has been fired by some of the biggest names in the business. He also plays crappy gear that breaks down onstage, has bad ears, and is always late to gigs.

Grammy Award winning percussionist and mallet player Billy Hulting has a checkered past traveling the word with Zappa Plays Zappa, Natalie Cole, The Manhattan Transfer, Lou Rawls, Maynard Ferguson, and others. He can easily be talked into do recording sessions and editing videos if you can get him off his sailboat. Also – he is loved by large animals and people’s parents the world over yet no one can explain how or why.

Pete Griffin has played with luminaries from all genres of music, from pop stars Hanson to New Orleans legend Dr. John to guitar god Steve Vai to cartoon death metal band Deathklok.

Joe has been playing drums in the Los Angeles area for over 30 years. A Berklee College Of Music graduate, Joe moved to LA in 1992 and by March 1993 he had landed the gig with Dweezil & Ahmet Zappa’s group “Z”. Since then Joe has gone on to play for many acts over the years including Duran Duran, Lisa Loeb, Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes), Billy Idol, Zappa Plays Zappa, Eric Johnson and Joe Satriani.
When Joe is not on the road, he spends his time being the  “Vaultmeister” for the Zappa Brand and Universal Music. This entails being in charge of archiving and preserving the legacy of legend Frank Zappa, co-producing and supervising future projects.

Multi-instrumentalist and composer Mike Keneally was born in 1961 in Long Island, and then again in 1987 when he was hired to play in Frank Zappa’s band. He performed on the Zappa albums Broadway The Hard Way, Make A Jazz Noise Here, The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life, Zappa ’88: The Last U.S. Show and numerous tracks across other releases. Keneally has put out around forty solo releases over the past four decades (discography is here: https://www.keneally.com/music/discography-mike-keneally/); the most recent solo album is 2023’s The Thing That Knowledge Can’t Eat. Whenever possible he plays his own songs live with his band Beer For Dolphins, featuring OSD drummer Joe Travers. He has recorded and/or performed live with Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Robert Fripp, Andy Partridge, Dethklok, Mastodon, Shankar, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, The Zappa Band, The Persuasions and countless others. Currently he tours, co-produces and records with Devin Townsend, and tours as a member of the progressive rock homage band ProgJect.