Jack Casady
Encyclopedia
Jack Casady is an American musician considered one of the foremost bass guitarists of the rock music era and best known as a member of Jefferson Airplane
. First playing as a lead guitarist with the Washington D.C.
area rhythm and blues band "The Triumphs", he switched to bass during his high school years and while still underage (and with a forged I.D.), played the Washington D.C club scene, backing artists such as Little Anthony and the Imperials
and Ray Charles
. He became the bass player for Jefferson Airplane
when lead guitarist Jorma Kaukonen
, a high school friend and former Triumphs rhythm guitarist, invited him to join in late September 1965. Jefferson Airplane became the first successful exponent of the San Francisco Sound
. Their singles, including "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit," had a more polished style and successfully charted in 1967 and 1968. Casady, along with the other members of Jefferson Airplane, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in 1996.
(1966) on tracks such as "Let Me In" and "Run Around." The live Airplane album Bless Its Pointed Little Head
, recorded in 1968, demonstrates Casady's unique walking line style to the fullest, as his Guild
Starfire bass signal was delivered through a Versatone
amplifier which gave his instrument a distinctive growling sound when played in the higher register. The Fred Neil
track "The Other Side of This Life" remains the quintessential example of his style. On later Airplane albums, such as Bark
, Long John Silver
and the live Thirty Seconds Over Winterland
, Casady switched over to a $4,000 custom-made Alembic
bass (#001, the first made by the company) dubbed "Mission Control." The extraordinarily grand sound Casady produced during his 1968-71 heyday—nowhere better heard than in his multi-tracked playing on "Sunrise," a song from Paul Kantner
's 1970 solo album Blows Against the Empire—inspired fans to assign him the affectionate nickname of "God."
Other noteworthy Casady performances on Jefferson Airplane recordings include the seminal Top 10 hit "White Rabbit
" (on the album Surrealistic Pillow
, 1967), "Rejoyce" and "Watch Her Ride" (After Bathing at Baxter's
, 1967), "Crown of Creation", "If You Feel" and "The House at Pooneil Corners" (Crown of Creation, 1968), and "Crazy Miranda" and "War Movie" (Bark, 1971). Several of these tracks are remarkable for their groundbreaking infusions of jazz and raga bass lines into the rock format. For years in live performance with the Airplane, Casady's showcase was the Paul Kantner
composition "The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil," which gave the bassist the opportunity to improvise an open-ended solo that was different every night and often astonishing. The Fly Jefferson Airplane DVD includes one such performance videotaped at The Family Dog, where Casady pulls off a ragingly inventive solo that visibly impresses fellow band member Grace Slick
. He was likewise adept at complementing the musicianship of his fellow players; the live version of "Volunteers" on the Woodstock
album is a notable example of cooperating bass and keyboard rhythm with session pianist Nicky Hopkins
.
Casady's appetite for playing led him to do extensive moonlighting during his Airplane tenure. Not only did he perform live on stage with Jimi Hendrix during 1968, he also played bass on the Jimi Hendrix
song "Voodoo Chile
", from the Electric Ladyland
album released in the same year (some copies of album misspell his name as Cassidy). He also occasionally played with other key San Francisco bands Grateful Dead
, Country Joe and the Fish
and James and the Good Brothers. Furthermore, he was a member of two short-lived splinter groups, Mickey and the Heartbeats (with Jerry Garcia
and Mickey Hart
) and Jack Casady and the Degenerates, featuring friend from teen years Danny Gatton, as well as Jorma. Neither of these groups ever recorded, though live tapes are in circulation. Later, Casady was to appear on David Crosby
's "If I Could Only Remember my Name" (1971), Roky Erickson
's album "Don't Slander Me" (1982) and Warren Zevon
's "Transverse City" (1989). He also produced Jorma Kaukonen's first solo album, the critically acclaimed "Quah", in 1975.
in 1969, and they still perform to the present day. The group has morphed over the years from an acoustic blues unit to an electric boogie band to a rampaging metal act and back again. Casady is equally comfortable accompanying an acoustic Kaukonen ("Mann's Fate", 1970) or electric jamming ("John's Other", 1971). Casady's solo on "Candy Man" (Hot Tuna's First Pull Up, Then Pull Down
, 1971) also shows his ability at carrying the melody rather than just playing rhythmic scales, a key characteristic of his bass solo work. Some exquisitely intricate playing is evident on the 1972 album Burgers
, particularly the sparkling instrumental track "Water Song," which Casady has described as featuring "lead bass." Another Burgers track, " Sunny Day Strut", has Casady's bass dueling with Kaukonen's lead guitar. When Tuna became a power trio in the mid 70's, Casady's Guild Flying V custom bass became his trademark. Later works, especially Live in Japan
(1997), still testify to his creativity as evidenced by the continually evolving bass solos on "Candy Man", "Good Shepherd
" and "99 Year Blues".
disbanded for several years. During this time, Casady helped found a modern rock band, SVT, with Brian Marnell, a promising songwriter and frontman, keyboardist Nick Buck, and drummer Bill Gibson, later replaced by Paul Zahl. Again, Casady's versatility was demonstrated as this band played in a convincing New Wave style, totally removed from Hot Tuna and Jefferson Airplane. During his SVT tenure, Casady actually taped his fingers together to force himself to simplify his highly articulated playing style. He and Zahl formed an exemplary rhythm section, as evidenced on the LP No Regrets (1981). After Marnell's death from a drug overdose Casady and Zahl continued the basic SVT sound with guitarist Jack Johnson and singer/songwriter/guitarist Owen Masterson in a band called The Yanks. Also during the 1980s, Casady joined former Airplane members Paul Kantner and Marty Balin in the KBC Band
.
In 1992, he joined Paul Kantner's recreated Jefferson Starship
, and appeared on the albums Deep Space / Virgin Sky
and Windows of Heaven
. In 2000, Kantner used the name Jefferson Airplane against the terms of his 1985 settlement with Grace Slick
, Jorma Kaukonen
, Bill Thompson, and Casady. Casady left Jefferson Starship after this incident. Casady appears with Kantner again on the 2008 Jefferson Starship release, Jefferson's Tree of Liberty
from a track previously recorded for the German release of Windows of Heaven
.
, produced by Greg Hampton
and Casady. Like other Airplane-related solo works it featured substantial support from other players such as Warren Haynes
, Doyle Bramhall II
, Jorma Kaukonen, Fee Waybill, Ivan Neville, the group Box Set, and many other musician friends.
Currently, as well as performing with Hot Tuna, Casady teaches bass workshops at Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch in Ohio.
Casady helped design in conjunction with Epiphone, the "Jack Casady Signature Bass", a 34-inch scale hollow-body electric bass with single low-impedance humbucker
pickup and a floating bridge. The instrument is based on Casady's mid-70s Gibson Les Paul Signature bass
which he bought in the 1980s.
, whose members include former Jefferson Starship
bassist and Hot Tuna keyboardist Pete Sears
, along with G. E. Smith
, Barry Sless
, Ann McNamee, Roger McNamee
, and Jimmy Sanchez. The first Moonalice studio album
was released in April 2009.
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
. First playing as a lead guitarist with the Washington D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
area rhythm and blues band "The Triumphs", he switched to bass during his high school years and while still underage (and with a forged I.D.), played the Washington D.C club scene, backing artists such as Little Anthony and the Imperials
Little Anthony & The Imperials
Little Anthony and the Imperials is a rhythm and blues/soul/doo-wop vocal group from New York, first active in the 1950s. Lead singer Jerome Anthony "Little Anthony" Gourdine was noted for his high-pitched falsetto voice, influenced by Jimmy Scott...
and Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
. He became the bass player for Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
when lead guitarist Jorma Kaukonen
Jorma Kaukonen
Jorma Ludwik Kaukonen Jr. is an American blues, folk, and rock guitarist, best known for his work with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna.-Biography:...
, a high school friend and former Triumphs rhythm guitarist, invited him to join in late September 1965. Jefferson Airplane became the first successful exponent of the San Francisco Sound
San Francisco Sound
The San Francisco Sound refers to rock music performed live and recorded by San Francisco-based rock groups of the mid 1960s to early 1970s. It was associated with the counterculture community in San Francisco during these years.- Stylistic Dimensions :...
. Their singles, including "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit," had a more polished style and successfully charted in 1967 and 1968. Casady, along with the other members of Jefferson Airplane, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
in 1996.
Jefferson Airplane years 1965–1972
Casady replaced original Jefferson Airplane bassist Bob Harvey in October 1965. Casady stepped beyond the conventional rhythmic and chord-supporting role of rock & roll, in order to explore other possible melodic ideas offered by the rhythm and chord progressions. His impact is immediately evident on Airplane debut album Jefferson Airplane Takes OffJefferson Airplane Takes Off
Jefferson Airplane Takes Off is the debut album of San Francisco rock band Jefferson Airplane, released on RCA Victor Records in September 1966. The personnel differ from the later "classic" lineup and the music is more folk-rock than the harder psychedelic sound for which the band later became...
(1966) on tracks such as "Let Me In" and "Run Around." The live Airplane album Bless Its Pointed Little Head
Bless Its Pointed Little Head
Bless Its Pointed Little Head is a live album by Jefferson Airplane recorded at both the Fillmore East and West in the fall of 1968 and released in 1969. Five songs on the album had not appeared on any of the band's previous studio recordings. The songs that did appear on previous albums, however,...
, recorded in 1968, demonstrates Casady's unique walking line style to the fullest, as his Guild
Guild Guitar Company
The Guild Guitar Company is a USA-based guitar manufacturer founded in 1952 by Alfred Dronge, a guitarist and music-store owner, and George Mann, a former executive with the Epiphone Guitar Company...
Starfire bass signal was delivered through a Versatone
Versatone
Versatone is a brand of musical instrument amplifiers manufactured from a plant in Van Nuys, California during the 1960s and 1970s. "Versatone" amplifiers was Owned ,designed and produced by inventor G. Robert Hall and his wife Loretta S.Hall. G. Robert Hall was Born in Vermontville MI , May 11,...
amplifier which gave his instrument a distinctive growling sound when played in the higher register. The Fred Neil
Fred Neil
Fred Neil was an American folk singer-songwriter in the 1960s and early 1970s. He did not achieve commercial success as a performer, and is mainly known through other people's recordings of his material – particularly "Everybody's Talkin'", which became a hit for Harry Nilsson after being...
track "The Other Side of This Life" remains the quintessential example of his style. On later Airplane albums, such as Bark
Bark (album)
-Personnel:* Jack Casady – bass* Joey Covington – percussion, drums, vocals* Paul Kantner – guitar, vocals* Jorma Kaukonen – lead guitar, vocals* Grace Slick – piano, vocals- Additional personnel :...
, Long John Silver
Long John Silver (album)
-Personnel:*Grace Slick – vocals, piano*Jack Casady – bass*Paul Kantner – vocals, rhythm guitar*Jorma Kaukonen – lead guitar, vocals*Papa John Creach – electric violin*John Barbata – drums, tambourine, "against the grain stubble scraping"...
and the live Thirty Seconds Over Winterland
Thirty Seconds Over Winterland
-Personnel:Personnel credits from original Vinyl release.*Jack Casady – bass*Paul Kantner – vocals, rhythm guitar*Jorma Kaukonen – lead guitar, vocals*Grace Slick – vocals*Papa John Creach – electric violin*John Barbata – drums, percussion...
, Casady switched over to a $4,000 custom-made Alembic
Alembic Inc
Alembic was founded in 1969 and is a manufacturer of high-end electric basses, guitars and preamps.-History:Ron and Susan Wickersham founded Alembic, Inc. in 1969...
bass (#001, the first made by the company) dubbed "Mission Control." The extraordinarily grand sound Casady produced during his 1968-71 heyday—nowhere better heard than in his multi-tracked playing on "Sunrise," a song from Paul Kantner
Paul Kantner
Paul Lorin Kantner is an American rock musician, known for co-founding the psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane and its spin-off band Jefferson Starship.- Overview :...
's 1970 solo album Blows Against the Empire—inspired fans to assign him the affectionate nickname of "God."
Other noteworthy Casady performances on Jefferson Airplane recordings include the seminal Top 10 hit "White Rabbit
White Rabbit
The White Rabbit works for the Red Queen, but is also a secret member of the Underland Underground Resistance, and was sent by the Hatter to search for Alice...
" (on the album Surrealistic Pillow
Surrealistic Pillow
Surrealistic Pillow is the second album by American psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane, released in February 1967.Original drummer Alexander 'Skip' Spence had left the band in mid-1966, replaced by a jazz drummer from Los Angeles, Spencer Dryden, a nephew of Charlie Chaplin. New lead vocalist...
, 1967), "Rejoyce" and "Watch Her Ride" (After Bathing at Baxter's
After Bathing at Baxter's
After Bathing at Baxter's was released in 1967 and is the third album by the San Francisco rock band Jefferson Airplane.Unlike Surrealistic Pillow, released earlier the same year, After Bathing at Baxter's is classified as psychedelic rock because it eschews the more commercial type pop songs, such...
, 1967), "Crown of Creation", "If You Feel" and "The House at Pooneil Corners" (Crown of Creation, 1968), and "Crazy Miranda" and "War Movie" (Bark, 1971). Several of these tracks are remarkable for their groundbreaking infusions of jazz and raga bass lines into the rock format. For years in live performance with the Airplane, Casady's showcase was the Paul Kantner
Paul Kantner
Paul Lorin Kantner is an American rock musician, known for co-founding the psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane and its spin-off band Jefferson Starship.- Overview :...
composition "The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil," which gave the bassist the opportunity to improvise an open-ended solo that was different every night and often astonishing. The Fly Jefferson Airplane DVD includes one such performance videotaped at The Family Dog, where Casady pulls off a ragingly inventive solo that visibly impresses fellow band member Grace Slick
Grace Slick
Grace Slick is an American singer and songwriter, who was one of the lead singers of the rock groups The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship, and was a solo artist, for nearly three decades, from the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s...
. He was likewise adept at complementing the musicianship of his fellow players; the live version of "Volunteers" on the Woodstock
Woodstock: Music From the Original Soundtrack and More
Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More is the live album of the 1969 Woodstock concert. Originally released on Atlantic Records' Cotillion label as a set of 3 LPs in 1970 , it was re-released as a double CD in 1994. Veteran producer Eddie Kramer was the sound engineer during the...
album is a notable example of cooperating bass and keyboard rhythm with session pianist Nicky Hopkins
Nicky Hopkins
Nicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins was an English pianist and organist.He recorded and performed on noted British and American popular music recordings of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s as a session musician....
.
Casady's appetite for playing led him to do extensive moonlighting during his Airplane tenure. Not only did he perform live on stage with Jimi Hendrix during 1968, he also played bass on the Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
song "Voodoo Chile
Voodoo Chile
"Voodoo Chile" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and recorded in 1968, closing Side 1 of The Jimi Hendrix Experience album Electric Ladyland. The song is Hendrix's longest studio recording and features additional musicians in what has been described as a "studio jam"...
", from the Electric Ladyland
Electric Ladyland
Electric Ladyland is the third and final album of new material by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, released in October 1968 on Reprise Records, catalogue 2RS 6307. It is the only Hendrix studio album professionally produced under his supervision. It topped the Billboard 200 album chart for two weeks in...
album released in the same year (some copies of album misspell his name as Cassidy). He also occasionally played with other key San Francisco bands Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
, Country Joe and the Fish
Country Joe and the Fish
Country Joe and the Fish was a rock band most widely known for musical protests against the Vietnam War, from 1966 to 1971, and also regarded as a seminal influence to psychedelic rock.-History:...
and James and the Good Brothers. Furthermore, he was a member of two short-lived splinter groups, Mickey and the Heartbeats (with Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
and Mickey Hart
Mickey Hart
Mickey Hart is an American percussionist and musicologist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band the Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 to February 1971, and from October 1974 to August 1995...
) and Jack Casady and the Degenerates, featuring friend from teen years Danny Gatton, as well as Jorma. Neither of these groups ever recorded, though live tapes are in circulation. Later, Casady was to appear on David Crosby
David Crosby
David Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
's "If I Could Only Remember my Name" (1971), Roky Erickson
Roky Erickson
Roky Erickson is an American singer, songwriter, harmonica player and guitarist from Texas. He was a founding member of the 13th Floor Elevators and a pioneer of the psychedelic rock genre.-Biography:...
's album "Don't Slander Me" (1982) and Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon
Warren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known...
's "Transverse City" (1989). He also produced Jorma Kaukonen's first solo album, the critically acclaimed "Quah", in 1975.
Hot Tuna
Casady and Kaukonen formed Hot TunaHot Tuna
Hot Tuna is an American blues-rock band formed by bassist Jack Casady and guitarist Jorma Kaukonen as a spin-off of Jefferson Airplane. It plays acoustic and electric versions of original and traditional blues songs.- Jefferson Airplane side project :...
in 1969, and they still perform to the present day. The group has morphed over the years from an acoustic blues unit to an electric boogie band to a rampaging metal act and back again. Casady is equally comfortable accompanying an acoustic Kaukonen ("Mann's Fate", 1970) or electric jamming ("John's Other", 1971). Casady's solo on "Candy Man" (Hot Tuna's First Pull Up, Then Pull Down
First Pull Up, Then Pull Down
First Pull Up, Then Pull Down was the second album by Hot Tuna. The album was recorded live with electric instruments, instead of the acoustic instruments used on the previous album, Hot Tuna. The album rose to #43 on the Billboard charts...
, 1971) also shows his ability at carrying the melody rather than just playing rhythmic scales, a key characteristic of his bass solo work. Some exquisitely intricate playing is evident on the 1972 album Burgers
Burgers (album)
-Personnel:*Jorma Kaukonen – guitars, lead vocals*Jack Casady – bass, vocals, eyebrow*Papa John Creach – violin, vocals*Sammy Piazza – drums, tympani, other percussion, vocals-Additional personnel:...
, particularly the sparkling instrumental track "Water Song," which Casady has described as featuring "lead bass." Another Burgers track, " Sunny Day Strut", has Casady's bass dueling with Kaukonen's lead guitar. When Tuna became a power trio in the mid 70's, Casady's Guild Flying V custom bass became his trademark. Later works, especially Live in Japan
Live in Japan (Hot Tuna album)
Live in Japan is a live acoustic album by Hot Tuna recorded in 1997 in Yokohama, Japan. Originally the band planned to play an electric set as part of their Japanese tour, but the venue in Yokohama was quite small and there wasn't any room for an electric setup...
(1997), still testify to his creativity as evidenced by the continually evolving bass solos on "Candy Man", "Good Shepherd
Good Shepherd (song)
"Good Shepherd" is a traditional song, most known as recorded by Jefferson Airplane on their 1969 album Volunteers. It was arranged and sung by the group's guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, who described their interpretation of it as psychedelic folk-rock....
" and "99 Year Blues".
SVT and The Yanks
In the late 1970s, Casady and Kaukonen found that they needed some creative time apart and Hot TunaHot Tuna
Hot Tuna is an American blues-rock band formed by bassist Jack Casady and guitarist Jorma Kaukonen as a spin-off of Jefferson Airplane. It plays acoustic and electric versions of original and traditional blues songs.- Jefferson Airplane side project :...
disbanded for several years. During this time, Casady helped found a modern rock band, SVT, with Brian Marnell, a promising songwriter and frontman, keyboardist Nick Buck, and drummer Bill Gibson, later replaced by Paul Zahl. Again, Casady's versatility was demonstrated as this band played in a convincing New Wave style, totally removed from Hot Tuna and Jefferson Airplane. During his SVT tenure, Casady actually taped his fingers together to force himself to simplify his highly articulated playing style. He and Zahl formed an exemplary rhythm section, as evidenced on the LP No Regrets (1981). After Marnell's death from a drug overdose Casady and Zahl continued the basic SVT sound with guitarist Jack Johnson and singer/songwriter/guitarist Owen Masterson in a band called The Yanks. Also during the 1980s, Casady joined former Airplane members Paul Kantner and Marty Balin in the KBC Band
KBC Band
The KBC Band was formed in 1985 by former Jefferson Airplane members Paul Kantner , Marty Balin and Jack Casady . Other members included Keith Crossan , Tim Gorman , Mark "Slick" Aguilar and Darrell Verdusco...
.
Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship is an American rock band formed in the early 1970s. The group is a spin-off from the iconic 1960s psychedelic/folk group Jefferson Airplane. The band has undergone several major changes in personnel and genres through the years while retaining the same Jefferson Starship name...
, and appeared on the albums Deep Space / Virgin Sky
Deep Space / Virgin Sky
-Expanded Track Listing :-Personnel:*Jack Casady – basses*Marty Balin – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion*Paul Kantner – lead vocals, 12-string guitar*Prairie Prince – drums*Slick Aguilar – lead guitar*Tim Gorman – keyboards, vocals...
and Windows of Heaven
Windows of Heaven (album)
Windows of Heaven is Jefferson Starship's first studio album since reforming in 1992. It was first released in Germany, but the band told fans to wait for a new American remixed version. The single "Let Me Fly" was released along with the American release, but did not chart on the Billboard charts...
. In 2000, Kantner used the name Jefferson Airplane against the terms of his 1985 settlement with Grace Slick
Grace Slick
Grace Slick is an American singer and songwriter, who was one of the lead singers of the rock groups The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship, and was a solo artist, for nearly three decades, from the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s...
, Jorma Kaukonen
Jorma Kaukonen
Jorma Ludwik Kaukonen Jr. is an American blues, folk, and rock guitarist, best known for his work with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna.-Biography:...
, Bill Thompson, and Casady. Casady left Jefferson Starship after this incident. Casady appears with Kantner again on the 2008 Jefferson Starship release, Jefferson's Tree of Liberty
Jefferson's Tree of Liberty
Jefferson's Tree of Liberty is a 2008 studio album by Jefferson Starship, released on September 2, 2008. It is the tenth studio album recorded by the band under the Jefferson Starship name, the first studio album since 1999's Windows of Heaven and the first on a major label by the band since 1989...
from a track previously recorded for the German release of Windows of Heaven
Windows of Heaven (album)
Windows of Heaven is Jefferson Starship's first studio album since reforming in 1992. It was first released in Germany, but the band told fans to wait for a new American remixed version. The single "Let Me Fly" was released along with the American release, but did not chart on the Billboard charts...
.
Dream Factor
Not a singer and never a prolific songwriter, it was not until June 2003 that Casady released his first solo album, Dream FactorDream Factor
Dream Factor is Jack Casady's first solo album, released on Eagle Records. The album was created by Jack first writing songs on guitar and then bringing musicians in to his studio to help record his vision.-Track listing:Studio tracks from liner notes...
, produced by Greg Hampton
Greg Hampton
Greg Hampton is a producer, guitarist, singer, and songwriter, who has worked on such albums as Alice Cooper's Along Came a Spider, Tommy Bolin's Whips and Roses, and Lita Ford's Wicked Wonderland. Hampton has also appeared as the member of several groups over the years, including Science Faxtion ,...
and Casady. Like other Airplane-related solo works it featured substantial support from other players such as Warren Haynes
Warren Haynes
Warren Haynes is an American rock and blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. Haynes is best known for his work as long time guitarist with The Allman Brothers Band and as founding member of the jam band Gov't Mule. Early in his career he was a guitarist for David Allan Coe and The Dickey...
, Doyle Bramhall II
Doyle Bramhall II
Doyle Bramhall II is a guitarist and vocalist in his band Smokestack and was also the second guitarist in Eric Clapton's band from 2004 to 2009.-Discography:with Arc Angels*Arc Angels...
, Jorma Kaukonen, Fee Waybill, Ivan Neville, the group Box Set, and many other musician friends.
Currently, as well as performing with Hot Tuna, Casady teaches bass workshops at Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch in Ohio.
Casady helped design in conjunction with Epiphone, the "Jack Casady Signature Bass", a 34-inch scale hollow-body electric bass with single low-impedance humbucker
Humbucker
A humbucker is a type of electric guitar pickup, first patented by Seth Lover and the Gibson company, that uses two coils, both generating string signal. Humbuckers have higher output than a single coil pickup since both coils are connected in series...
pickup and a floating bridge. The instrument is based on Casady's mid-70s Gibson Les Paul Signature bass
Gibson Les Paul bass
The Gibson Les Paul bass is a bass guitar first manufactured by Gibson in 1969, just after the relaunch of the Les Paul guitar in 1968. Initially it was a short scale bass guitar, like the EB0 and EB3...
which he bought in the 1980s.
Moonalice
In 2007, Casady joined a new band, MoonaliceMoonalice
Moonalice is the band that formed from previous members of the Flying Other Brothers. The band has been touring since May, 2007, and has come to the attention of music critics. The band is made up of five musicians, and led by businessman Roger McNamee. Their eponymous debut album recorded and...
, whose members include former Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship is an American rock band formed in the early 1970s. The group is a spin-off from the iconic 1960s psychedelic/folk group Jefferson Airplane. The band has undergone several major changes in personnel and genres through the years while retaining the same Jefferson Starship name...
bassist and Hot Tuna keyboardist Pete Sears
Pete Sears
Peter 'Pete' Sears is an English rock musician. In a career spanning more than four decades he has been a member of many bands and has moved through a variety of musical genres, from early R&B, psychedelic improvisational rock of the 1960s, folk, country music, arena rock in the 1970s, and blues...
, along with G. E. Smith
G. E. Smith
George Edward "G. E." Smith is an American guitarist. He was the lead guitarist in the band Hall & Oates and the musical director of Saturday Night Live. Smith was lead guitarist of Bob Dylan's touring band from June 7, 1988 to October 19, 1990...
, Barry Sless
Barry Sless
Barry Sless is an American musician from Baltimore, Maryland. He is skilled at both traditional six-string guitar and the pedal steel guitar.-Performances with:*David Nelson Band*Phil and Friends*Moonalice*Kingfish*Great American Taxi*Rowan Brothers...
, Ann McNamee, Roger McNamee
Roger McNamee
Roger McNamee is a founding partner of the venture capital firm Elevation Partners. Prior to co-founding the firm McNamee co-founded private equity firm Silver Lake Partners and headed the T...
, and Jimmy Sanchez. The first Moonalice studio album
Moonalice
Moonalice is the band that formed from previous members of the Flying Other Brothers. The band has been touring since May, 2007, and has come to the attention of music critics. The band is made up of five musicians, and led by businessman Roger McNamee. Their eponymous debut album recorded and...
was released in April 2009.
External links
- Official Jack Casady website requires Flash