Album Notes

THESE GOOD FIGS: A Christmas Collection on Guitar

Fingerstyle guitarist, Darrell Casey, has been performing, recording and touring both as a soloist and a part of his family acoustic band, WATERCARVERS GUILD, for over fifteen years. In that time, his music has spread from his home in Montana to many parts of the world, including Ireland, Australia, Germany, Italy and Japan.

In the 1990’s, Darrell released two highly successful solo guitar CD’s, “THESE GOOD FIGS”, a Christmas collection on guitar and “WITHOUT A WORD”, his own compositions and he began touring the Northwest.

Jon Chappel, then Executive Editor of GUITAR MAGAZINE, gave Darrell’s guitar music high praise, saying: “Casey’s artful blend of traditional fingerpicking styles with his modern sensibilities recalls the elegance of Chet Atkins and the inventiveness of Michael Hedges. But Casey is wholly original, delivering his intelligent brand of fingerstyle with a sensitive and refined touch.”

"His performances aren’t so much songs played on the guitar as they are full orchestrations coaxed out of six strings.” Ken Nelson, Recording Engineer, Cottage Recording

"Darrell Casey has given new life to timeless Christmas classics through his intricate guitar work. “These Good Figs” quickly became our most requested CD of the season.” Steve Blair, Radio Program Director, KXMT/KCAP

Darrell Casey is a meticulous craftsman and virtuoso performer.” Arnie Malina, Ex. Director, Myrna Loy Center

In 1996, Darrell formed an acoustic ensemble with his two sons, David and Nathan with a focus on original contemporary folk/pop music. They christened their ensemble, “WATERCARVERS GUILD”, after a poem Darrell had written in his youth about the watercarver, a word that Darrell coined in the seventies.

For more on WATERCARVERS GUILD, their tour schedule and their new CD, BALLADEERS AND AERONAUTS, visit their CDBaby webpage and their website at www.watercarversguild.com

For Darrell, watercarving has always been the best way to describe how he feels about creating music:
“The analogy of making music as carving water intrigued me. The watercarver has a real need to create. He has the tools, he has the medium. He’s the one who goes out daily and makes it happen. It’s his soul that he’s putting into this thing. Through that work, he discovers the meaning of life, so to speak. It's kind of allegorical to what making music is all about. It's something that happens in a very short time and then it's gone… If carving water is pointless, then so is everything else." Darrell Casey

Darrell’s most recent solo guitar composition “Remembering Joseph” chronicles the 1300 mile journey of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce tribe as they fled from the pursuing US Calvary in 1877. The journey ended with the surrender of the Nez Perce just 40 miles from the Canadian border. Chief Joseph surrendered by saying, “From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.” Darrell debuted his guitar piece for the Nez Perce tribal leaders at their annual battlefield memorial service along the Nez Perce Trail in 2004, the 100th year anniversary of the death of Chief Joseph.

“Remembering Joseph” is available at the Watercarvers Guild website Store at www.watercarversguild.com.
Darrell continues to compose, perform and record music for solo guitar, as well as perform and tour with his family group, WATERCARVERS GUILD. The group is a member of several Touring Artist Rosters, including Northwest on Tour and the Alaska Tour Roster.