Van Eps recommended Reuss as his own replacement with the Benny Goodman Orchestra in 1935. He began studying the guitar with Van Eps in 1933. Others good rhythm guitarists were Barry Galbraith, Carl Kress, Tony Gottuso and Dave Barbour.Īllan was born in New York City, 1915. The others three: Basie’s Freddie Green, Fats Waller’s Al Casey, Paul Whiteman´s Art Ryerson. He won reader’s polls in “Metronome” and “Down Beat” in 1945. The guitarist who was crucial in giving the Goodman band its romping swing & rushing excitement. The recent information about his birthdate, previously cited, would suggest that Casey was actually about 88 years old when he died and not 90 years as firstly was believed.Ģ-Allan Reuss (1915-is alive) (Christian and post-Christian period) He died, four days before his ninetieth birthday, of colon cancer at the Dewitt Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in New York. Afterwards a long period as studio free-lancer, he played every Saturday night, at the Lousiana Club on Broadway, with The Harlem Blues & Jazz Band, which he joined in 1981. When leaf the trio Casey worked during decades with King Curtis from 1957 to 1961, where he played the classic rhythm and blues, nothing to do with the present R & B (“ar-and-bi”). In 1959 he contributed to an album called Paul Curry Presents The Friends Of Fats on the Golden Crest label. From Greenwich Village passed to Village Vanguard and the up on 52nd Street with changes in his trio (Al Matthews on the bass and Teacho Wilshire on the piano).
After this time Al led his own a trio for a short time, in a club in Greenwich Village, replacing to the pianist Clarence Profit. Remembering this time, years later, Casey commented that he was in love with Billie. It is impotant to take into account that Charlie Christian was dead in 1942.Īt this time, with Waller also deceased, he did stints (trabajos esporádicos) with Earl Hines, Edmond Hall, Pete Brown, Billie Holiday, Frankie Newton and Chuck Berry. In 1944, Casey briefly recorded with Louis Armstrong.Īward / knowledgment : In 1944 Casey won the Esquire Magazine Gold Award in jazz, and appeared at the year´s Esquire jazz concert at the old Metropolitan Opera House. Was Waller who just got Casey to switch from acoustic guitar to the new electric model of Gibson, guitar brand which he used to his last days. They worked together until Waller died in 1943 except for a tour with Teddy Wilson in 1939. Casey composed the well-known tune “ Buck Jumpin“, which was recorded by Waller. In 1934 he hired Casey to play rhythm guitar on the record dates he was beginning to do for RCA Victor. Caseys moved to New York City around 1930,growing up in this city where he attended DeWitt Clinton High School.Īl’s guitar playing eventually came to the famous Fats Waller pianist’s attention.”Fats was living in Harlem then, and they took me over and had me play for him,” said Al. Johnson Casey, but one his adoptive cousins played de guitar and ukulele and introduced to Al in both instruments when Al was a very young boy. He come to born within a non- family with no musician parents, Joseph and Maggie B. Recorded on 1920, Borgman says the register shows a 1917 birthdate. census records he found Albert Casey listed as being 2 years younger. While double-checking his birthdate with U.S.
Borgman), Casey’s birthdate, September 1915, may be incorrect. Borgman (son of jazz journalist George A. Others good rhythm guitarists were Barry Galbraith, Carl Kress, Tony Gottuso and Dave Barbour.Īlbert Aloysius Casey with artistic name Al Casey, should not to be confused with session guitarist and rockabilly artist with the same name ( Al Casey), was a color guitarist born in Louisville, Kentucky. The others three: Benny Goodman´s Allan Reuss, Basie’s Freddie Green, Paul Whiteman´s Art Ryerson. “ Master & brains right up to the grave” (genio y figura hasta la sepultura) 1- Al Casey (1915-2005) (pre-Christian, Christian and post-Christian periods)Ī lover with two loves, one possible, the guitar, and another impossible, Billie Holiday.