Casey Hensley

Casey Hensley, a blues singer and songwriter now based in San Diego, fronts a self-titled ensemble whose lineup features celebrated guitar slinger Laura Chavez along with drummer Evan Caleb Yearsley, son of the late vocalist Candye Kane, plus saxophonist Johnny Viau and bassist Marcos C. The group has earned a strong regional following across California and the American Southwest through its command of multiple blues idioms such as jump, swing, and Chicago blues.

Los Gatos native Hensley grew up in a musical San Diego household and first took the stage at five, channeling the styles of Etta James, Aretha Franklin, and Bobby "Blue" Bland. She turned professional by age nine, later fronting the band Chasing Norman through her late teens and early twenties. After stepping out as a solo act she began frequenting San Diego-area blues jams, where she connected with Chavez and Yearsley, the latter also her life partner. The pair assembled the rest of the personnel, launched the backing band, and started booking any available gigs, blending original material with classic blues covers.

San Diego media responded quickly to the new outfit. In May 2017 the band headlined the Ojai Blues Festival, appeared at Gator by the Bay, and performed at Doheny Blues Fest. Later that year they appeared at Las Vegas' Big Blues Bender held at the Plaza Hotel and toured the Pacific Northwest. Following a signing with Vizztone Records, the album Casey Hensley Live Featuring Laura Chavez was released in October 2017.