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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZCASEY, Al(b Albert Aloysius Casey, 15 September 1905, Louisville KY; d 9 September 2005, NYC) Started on violin age eight, then ukulele, then guitar. He made his pro debut with Fats Waller and his Rhythm '34 and played acoustic guitar on nearly all Waller's subsequent records. With Teddy Wilson '39-40, Waller again through '42, many residencies with his own trio across USA from '43, switched to amplified guitar; freelance gigging all over. He recorded under his own name on Capitol '45; with the Billy Kyle trio '49; on a Fletcher Henderson reunion LP '57; albums Buck Jumpin' and Quartet on Prestige c.1960; with King Curtis until '61, etc; album Six Swinging Strings '81 on JSP. Waller's sidemen were dismissed as unable to shine on their own; in fact they were good craftsmen: Casey's genial mainstream jazz pleased audiences for decades. He should not be confused with another guitarist named Al Casey, who played on a great many successful pop records. See Lee Hazlewood. |