Al Casey (jazz guitarist)
The nimble-fingered guitarist whose crisp, swinging lines became the rhythmic backbone of Fats Waller's joyous and irreverent sound.
1915–2005 (age 90)·American jazz guitarist·Birthday: September 15·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Al Casey plugged in his guitar just as jazz was electrifying, and his clean, propulsive style helped define the transition. Discovered while still a teenager, he became a fixture in Fats Waller's band, Fats Waller and His Rhythm, for over a decade. Casey's guitar wasn't about flashy solos; it was the essential engine room, providing a steady, chord-based pulse that anchored Waller's rollicking piano and vocals. His work on countless Waller sides like 'Honeysuckle Rose' and 'Ain't Misbehavin'' is a masterclass in supportive, swinging rhythm guitar. After Waller's death, Casey continued a long career, adapting to bebop and rhythm and blues, and later experiencing a revival as a elder statesman of swing, playing festivals well into his eighties. His legacy is the sound of good-time jazz itself: unpretentious, infectious, and always in the pocket.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Al was born in 1915, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Al Was Born
The biggest hits of 1915
#1 Movie
The Birth of a Nation
Al's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1915Born
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Started school
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1928Became a teenager
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1931Could drive
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1933Could vote
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1936Turned 21
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1945Turned 30
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1955Turned 40
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1965Turned 50
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 60
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 70
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 80
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Died at 90
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
Key Achievements
- Was the primary guitarist in Fats Waller's iconic band 'Fats Waller and His Rhythm' throughout the 1930s and early 1940s.
- Recorded on seminal jazz and pop tracks like 'Honeysuckle Rose,' 'Ain't Misbehavin',' and 'The Joint is Jumpin'.'
- Maintained a performing career for nearly seven decades, from the swing era through the jazz revival of the 1990s.
Did You Know?
He was only 16 years old when he first joined Fats Waller's band.
He played on the 1941 hit recording 'Flying Home' with Lionel Hampton, though this is often credited to other guitarists.
His nephew is the jazz pianist and composer Donal Fox.
“Just lock in with the rhythm section and let the chords do the walking.”
