Al Casey
Hit List
© 2004 Jack Miller
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melodic guitar driven pop instrumentals with elements of 60's and 70's production.
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Born on October 26, 1936 in Long Beach, California and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Al Casey was already a veteran of the local music scene by age seventeen. As a member of The Sunset Riders, he was featured on radio and television as well as playing on the first Viv sessions for Lee Hazlewood. It was Casey who first introduced Hazlewood to Sanford Clark in 1956. Together they made "The Fool" the first of many national hits from Phoenix, Arizona. With success came more sessions, from country to rock, square dance to jazz. Casey thrived in the confines of the small studios at the time. He played most stringed instruments, including the piano, as well as arranging many of the charts for the dates. Casey gained loads of experience while backing many of the national country acts on stage in Phoenix and smaller clubs all over the state.
Casey, and wife Corky, were right there in 1958 with Lee Hazlewood and Duane Eddy in the tiny Ramsey's Recording Studio, developing "The Twang Heard Round The World." (Check any early Duane Eddy CD or Al's own Sundazed or Bear Family CD's for more details on these years.) By 1961 Casey, now in L.A., had had enough of the road and was working with his own group when he wasn't playing sessions in the studios of L.A. and Phoenix. It's Casey's deep dark guitar you hear on the cult favorite "Endless Sleep" by Jody Reynolds.
Casey's first solo hit "Cookin," was originally released on the local Ramco imprint in 1961. After some regional action, the track was re-released on Stacy Records the following year. Casey recalls, "That first session I produced myself. I think we had three songs done and I was playing guitar. We had time for one more song and I thought I would use the organ that was already in the studio for a change, no guitar. We just put "Cookin" together on the spot. The last minute song was strong enough to place in the Billboard Top 100 chart after Stacy released it. Casey even made an appearance on American Bandstand to "finger sync" the song. Check out the recently released "Cookin'" CD on Sundazed for some of these great tracks.
If Eddy and Hazlewood had been working together in the summer of 1963, "Surfin' Hootenany" would be on "The Best" of Duane Eddy albums. But the two were on the outs at the time. Hazlewood called his long time musical associate, Al Casey, to tell him about a new song he had written. "I knew that folk-hootenanny music was happening, and surf was hot too, so I combined them," Hazlewood says. With the chart success of the 45 the two recorded a very collectable album of the same name for Stacy.
Through the 60's and 70's, Al was on call as a top studio player in L.A. working with practically everyone in the business from The Beach Boys to Eddy Arnold to Frank and Nancy Sinatra. For a spell he was in Dean Martin's T.V. show band, as well as playing lead guitar on most of the Exotic Guitars albums. He ran his own music store in Hollywood from 1966-1970. After twenty years on the West Coast, Casey returned to Arizona in the early 80's. Al has "been there, done that," and continues to play, teach and record as you will hear on this great new CD.
Casey is joined in the studio for "Hit List" by his long time friend, Richard Bennett, who also has a great new CD that you can order from CD Baby. The two play on various vintage guitars from Casey's collection, as they create new instrumental versions of a few of the many hits that Casey played on originally. Reed specialist Brad Bauder, from The Al Casey Combo days, adds his tasty licks to several of these songs.
This is the first release on Jack Miller's All Creation Record Company label. Miller was the original engineer on "Rebel Rouser" and many more of the hits from Phoenix produced by Lee Hazlewood and others. "It's a thrill to be in the studio again after all these years with someone as talented as Al," says Miller. The extensive liner notes feature Casey's comments on the original hit sessions and a wonderful appreciation of Casey by Bennett.
Produced by Al Casey, Richard Bennett and Jack Miller.
Order your copy of "Hit List" now from CD Baby.
..with special thanks to Johnny Vallis and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame ®
reviews
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Master of the Guitar
author: William D ParkerI had the privilege of studying guitar with Al for several months prior to his passing. He introduced me to another side of the guitar of which I was not even aware. While watching him play and arrange music, I became very aware that I was in the presence of a Master of the Guitar.
A Master of the Guitar
author: David ParkerI had the privilege of studying guitar with Al for several months before he passed. Although I had been playing for many years and had formal music training, Al opened up another side or the guitar to me. He showed me things I was not even aware of. When I heard him play and I saw him arrange music, I knew I was in the presence of a true Master of the Guitar.
Accoustic Best
author: ven chan 1502728Al Casey is the teacher of our guitar. It is very glad only in the representative music of the American pops. Sloop John B is the best performance with this CD. here is a lead guitarist of Moving'(Astronauts) which was released in Japan in July, 1964 and Al teacher is too, too, famous. Moving' became 1,500,000 sheets of big hit then. We wish for the rest in peace of Al teacher. Thanks
RETURN OF THE TWANG
author: jonacoAl Casey was one of the all-time super sidemen, a classy guitar player heard on hundreds of hits by everyone from Duane Eddy to Sinatra. He's still active back home in Arizona, and proves it with this tasteful set of instrumental mega-hits...all of which he played on the first time around. From flamenco-pop to rockabilly, Al's still a great player with a light touch. He's joined by fellow super sideman Richard Bennett and flute/sax player Brad Bauder (who sounds great on a rousing "Ramrod", a vintage Eddy hit). Even Duane's old engineer is part of this record- a must for vintage guitar/instro buffs.
Cool pickin' from some cool kats.
author: Don BurnsIt was great to hear this latest album from one of my boyhood idols. The excellent playing on this album holds out some hope for those of us pushing fifty, that there there can still be many good years of picking to come. I also loved the liner notes with the history of the original sessions.
Cool pickin' from some cool kats.
author: Don BurnsIt was great to hear this latest album from one of my boyhood idols. The excellent playing on this album holds out some hope for those of us pushing fifty, that there there can still be many good years of picking to come.
Great tunes - played great
author: Alan JCIt's great to hear these old favourites without those irritating vocalists than normally interrupt the guitarists. Love the tunes, love the way they are played. Only marked down a star because I hate sax - but that's just me.
Shades of Duane Eddy, Al's partner-in-crime.
author: Norm WeggelandAl's guitar playing is great. I forgot how good he was on all those Duane Eddy albums.
Al Casey's got some real aim
author: Andrea De MoriIt's a real delight listening to buddies and guitar masters Al Casey and Richard Bennett play these hits together, with such fresh tone and inventive phrasing. This album has a real live and intimate feeling, with (thankfully!) no over production. As a result, Al and Richard really pull it off with a very simple set-up, which sounds like they are having fun playing just for you in your living room. Throughout the album you hear an array of acoustic and electric guitars that makes us vintage instrument lovers drool. Plus there is some really cool sax here and there that gives a real West Coast feel. You can bet this album won't be gathering much dust!
This is a real nice session.
author: Bob Lee, Tucson, ArizonaAl Casey has put together a nice selection of tunes that he appeared on originally. It's great to hear Al as the main man on these super hits from the past. Kudos to Jack Miller for the production. A good addition to your collection of Phoenix-based artists. (If you don't know them by now, you're probably well under the age of 50!)