Al Casey Memorial Celebration 7:30pm Thursday, September 15, 2005 Saint Peter's Church, 54th & Lexington
Al Casey's 90th birthday was to be celebrated this coming Thursday. This event is now to be a memorial tribute. The Harlem Blues and Jazz Band will be joined by pianists Brooks Kerr, Chuck Folds, Frank Owens and Emme Kemp, along with other musicians who make arrangements with Dr. Vollmer.
Al Casey, who played guitar with Fats Waller for over a decade, passed away Sunday morning, according to the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band's founder and leader, Al Vollmer. He had been confined with cancer to the Dewitt Rehabilitation Center, East 79th Street and 3rd Avenue, New York, NY, for about a year. He is survived by his wife, Althea, and his son, Al Casey, Jr. Casey was born in Louisville, Kentucky September 15, 1915. He had completed a rich musical career in 1981 when Vollmer and Peter Carr brought him out of retirement to join the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band, with whom he performed for two more decades. With them he performed in 2000 at Tchaikovsky Hall, Moscow, to mark the Louis Armstrong Centennial. That band included three members who had worked with Armstrong, pianist Edwin Swanston, drummer Johnny Blowers, and Mr. Casey.
From Scott Yanow, All Music Guide: Although it has been over half a century since Fats Waller's death and Al Casey has been active during most of that time, he is still closely linked with Waller. He started working with the pianist's group in the early '30s, and was his main guitarist (with time off) up until Waller's demise in 1943, recording literally hundreds of performances. Sticking to acoustic guitar during that period, Casey was a very valuable rhythm player who also contributed some excellent single-note solos. Casey, who had worked with Teddy Wilson's big band during part of 1939-1940, and recorded with Billie Holiday, Frankie Newton, and Chu Berry, briefly led a trio of his own, and in 1944 worked with Clarence Profit's group. By that time, he had switched to electric guitar and, inspired by Charlie Christian, he himself became influential for a time. Casey spent the following decades freelancing in swing and blues settings. During 1957-1961, he played R&B with King Curtis, in the 1980s he was often featured with the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band, and in 1994 Al Casey recorded as a leader for Jazzpoint, a set not surprisingly titled A Tribute to Fats. ~
Sincerely,
Russ Dantzler permanent contact information: Hot Jazz Management & Production 326 West 43rd Street, Suite 3RC New York, NY 10036 212.586.8125 www.HotJazzNYC.com
Al Casey's 90th birthday was to be celebrated this coming Thursday. This event is now to be a memorial tribute. The Harlem Blues and Jazz Band will be joined by pianists Brooks Kerr, Chuck Folds, Frank Owens and Emme Kemp, along with other musicians who make arrangements with Dr. Vollmer.
Al Casey, who played guitar with Fats Waller for over a decade, passed away Sunday morning, according to the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band's founder and leader, Al Vollmer. He had been confined with cancer to the Dewitt Rehabilitation Center, East 79th Street and 3rd Avenue, New York, NY, for about a year. He is survived by his wife, Althea, and his son, Al Casey, Jr. Casey was born in Louisville, Kentucky September 15, 1915. He had completed a rich musical career in 1981 when Vollmer and Peter Carr brought him out of retirement to join the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band, with whom he performed for two more decades. With them he performed in 2000 at Tchaikovsky Hall, Moscow, to mark the Louis Armstrong Centennial. That band included three members who had worked with Armstrong, pianist Edwin Swanston, drummer Johnny Blowers, and Mr. Casey.
From Scott Yanow, All Music Guide: Although it has been over half a century since Fats Waller's death and Al Casey has been active during most of that time, he is still closely linked with Waller. He started working with the pianist's group in the early '30s, and was his main guitarist (with time off) up until Waller's demise in 1943, recording literally hundreds of performances. Sticking to acoustic guitar during that period, Casey was a very valuable rhythm player who also contributed some excellent single-note solos. Casey, who had worked with Teddy Wilson's big band during part of 1939-1940, and recorded with Billie Holiday, Frankie Newton, and Chu Berry, briefly led a trio of his own, and in 1944 worked with Clarence Profit's group. By that time, he had switched to electric guitar and, inspired by Charlie Christian, he himself became influential for a time. Casey spent the following decades freelancing in swing and blues settings. During 1957-1961, he played R&B with King Curtis, in the 1980s he was often featured with the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band, and in 1994 Al Casey recorded as a leader for Jazzpoint, a set not surprisingly titled A Tribute to Fats. ~
Sincerely,
Russ Dantzler permanent contact information: Hot Jazz Management & Production 326 West 43rd Street, Suite 3RC New York, NY 10036 212.586.8125 www.HotJazzNYC.com
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