Guitarist
Al Casey launched his recording career working on
Lee Hazlewood's early productions in Phoenix, Arizona, played alongside
Duane Eddy on a handful of his early hits, and later became a first-call session man in Los Angeles, where he accompanied the likes of
Dean Martin,
Frank Sinatra, and
the Beach Boys.
Casey's reputation was such that he actually got billing alongside the headline artists on many singles, and he also cut a handful of memorable records on his own when he wasn't busy playing sharp, agile blues and jazz-influenced guitar figures on other folks' sessions.
I'm a Guitar Man is a two-disc set that collects 59 tunes
Casey played on during his early days in Arizona, both as a headliner and as a sideman, and it's a very entertaining collection that confirms his consistent skill as a guitarist as well as the strength of the Arizona music scene in the 1950s and early '60s.
I'm a Guitar Man opens with
Casey's first major hit, playing some crisp, twangy lines behind
Sanford Clark on "The Fool," and the picker doesn't miss a step throughout the rest of the package, whether he's helping to back up vocalists like
Clark,
Jody Reynolds, or
Don Cole, or stretching out on his own instrumental sides (
Casey also sang lead on a few singles, though he wisely believed he was best off sticking to novelty numbers like the playfully boastful "I'm a Guitar Man"). The quality of
Casey's playing -- always tasteful and on point but never intrusive -- is impressive throughout, and if the quality of the material is a bit uneven, most of it is quite good, and the players working along with
Casey are similarly impressive. Some of these tracks were obviously rescued from vinyl sources, but the mastering has kept most of the noise to a minimum. Fans of first-generation rock & roll will find plenty to enjoy on
I'm a Guitar Man, and it's an excellent summary of
Casey's early body of work; an overview of his California years would be a fine and very welcome sequel.