Al Casey

Al Casey earned acclaim through his extended partnership with Fats Waller, placing him among the leading acoustic guitarists of the swing years with an understated yet commanding style that thrived in smaller settings. Born September 15, 1915, in Louisville, KY, he showed early brilliance by starting on violin, shifting briefly to ukulele, and then concentrating on guitar at New York City's DeWitt Clinton High School. His uncles, who encountered Waller while traveling with their gospel ensemble the Southern Singers, recommended the young musician, who joined the pianist in his mid-teens. Waller directed Casey to finish school and secure his diploma before committing full-time, although the guitarist already appeared on recording dates from the early '30s and toured with Waller during longer school recesses. He stayed until Waller's death in 1943, contributing to more than 200 landmark swing tracks; the blues piece "Buck Jumpin'" arose after Casey arrived late to a show, prompting Waller to summon him onstage for a solo whose impact led to a later studio version.

Casey also cut sides with trumpeter Louis Armstrong, singer Billie Holiday, vibist Lionel Hampton, and pianist Teddy Wilson, including a stint in the latter's short-lived big band in 1939. Following Waller's passing he worked in pianist Clarence Profit's trio, then formed his own trio that headlined New York's Onyx Club for nearly a year before moving to the Down Beat. Around this period he adopted the electric guitar and was voted its top player in Esquire magazine's annual jazz poll for both 1944 and 1945. Much of the next decade found him working as a session player, ending with a four-year collaboration that began in 1957 with R&B saxophonist King Curtis. He stepped away from music in 1961 for a job at a Xerox copy shop but returned to record with singer Helen Humes and pianist Jay McShann. After another long absence he reappeared in 1981 with the Harlem Jazz and Blues Band, his main ensemble for the following two decades, and made his first album as leader in 1994, releasing A Tribute to "Fats" on the Jazzpoint label. Casey died on September 11, 2005, after an extended fight with colon cancer, just days before his 90th birthday.