About Al Casey

There are two guitarists called Al Casey: #1 A jazz guitarist from Kentucky known mostly for his work with Fats Waller. #2 A rock & roll guitarist from the 60s known mostly for his work with Duane Eddy and Sandford Clark. #1 - Albert Aloysius Casey (September 15, 1915 - September 11, 2005) known professionally as Al Casey, was an African-American swing guitarist who played with Fats Waller on some of his famous recordings. Casey composed the well-known tune "Buck Jumpin", which was recorded by Waller. Casey was born in Louisville, Kentucky to Joseph and Maggie B. Johnson Casey. He grew up in New York City and attended DeWitt Clinton High School. He joined Thomas Fats Waller's band in the early 1930s and can be heard on hundreds of recordings, working with him until Waller died in 1943. In 1944, Casey briefly recorded with Louis Armstrong. He also worked with Clarence Profit's band that same year. In 1959 he contributed to an album called Paul Curry Presents The Friends Of Fats on the Golden Crest label.[citation needed] Between stints with Waller, Casey worked with Teddy Wilson from 1939 to 1940. He recorded with Billie Holiday, Frankie Newton, and Chuck Berry, and even led his own a trio for a short time. Remembering his time, years later, working with Holiday, Casey commented that he was in love with her. Casey freelanced over decades working with King Curtis from 1957 to 1961, where he played rhythm and blues. He continued playing into his late eighties with The Harlem Blues & Jazz Band, which he joined in 1981. He died four days before his ninetieth birthday of colon cancer at the Dewitt Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in New York. #2 - Alvin W. Casey (October 26, 1936 - September 17, 2006) was an American guitarist. He was mainly noted for his work as a session musician, but also released his own records and scored three Billboard Hot 100 hits in the United States. His contribution to the rockabilly genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Al is mainly known for his studio backup work, but also released records and had minor chart success under his own name. His guitar is prominent on the Sanford Clark hit The Fool, featuring a lick Al borrowed from the song, "Smokestack Lightning". He was part of the backup for Duane Eddy's recordings, playing bass, piano, and rhythm guitar. Al and Lee Hazlewood worked together in 1963, recording Surfin Hootenanny, which was a chart success. (The backup vocal group was even named The K-C-Ettes.) Recorded in the style of Duane Eddy's Dance With The Guitar Man, "Surfin Hootenanny" featured Al mimicking the styles of Dick Dale, The Ventures, and Duane Eddy. The Surfin Hootenanny album is somewhat of a classic among surf and rock and roll fans. Later he was a featured guitarist on the Exotic Guitars series of albums, and he continued recording until a few years before his death.