Casey Hensley
Casey Hensley | |
---|---|
Born | swing, rock and roll |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, record producer |
Instrument(s) | Vocals |
Years active | 2010s–present |
Labels | VizzTone Records |
Website | Official website |
Casey Hensley is an American female blues, swing, and rock and roll singer, songwriter and record producer. To date, Hensley has released two albums including her 2017 debut issue, Live.
The
Life and career
Hensley was born in
Hensley met Candye Kane in 2009, and through her connected with Kane's former husband, Thomas Yearsley, the bassist in the Paladins. He owned a recording studio and needed backing singers for one of his songs, and Hensley and Kane sang together on the recording.[6] Becoming based in San Diego again, Hensley started to find potential bandmates when attending blues jams in the region.[4] Hensley stated "I couldn't believe how the blues community just accepted me with open arms".[3] Through the same jamming route they found the guitarist Laura Chavez, building a band around them and started playing gigs, playing a mixture of Hensley penned tracks interspersed with covers of blues standards.[4] Chavez had started playing professionally at the age of 14,[6] and in 2013 played guitar on and co-produced Kane's final studio album, Coming Out Swingin'.[7] Hensley also sang at several shows that celebrated Kane's life, after Kane died from pancreatic cancer in May that year.[2]
Hensley contacted VizzTone Records, and Her debut album, Live, was recorded in one continuous take in the recording studio, in front of an invited audience. Among the tracks recorded were covers of Big Mama Thornton's "Ball and Chain", Screamin' Jay Hawkins "I Put a Spell on You", the Irma Thomas number, "You Can Have My Husband", Koko Taylor's "Voodoo Woman", the Willie Dixon penned "I Just Want to Make Love to You", and Elvis Presley's "Hard Headed Woman", plus three original songs written by Hensley.[6] The personnel included Hensley (vocals); with Chavez on guitar; drummer and, by now, life partner, Evan Caleb Yearsley; plus saxophonist Johnny Viau; and bassist Marcos C.[5] It was recorded at Thomas Yearsley's Thunderbird Analog Recording Studios in Oceanside.[8] Live was issued in October 2017.[4] The album saw Hensley receiving nominations for several San Diego Music Awards.[9] In the same year, Hensley and her backing ensemble played at the Ojai Blues Festival, appeared at Gator by the Bay and the Doheny Blues Fest, and they performed at the Big Blues Bender at the Plaza Hotel & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada.[4]
She was named 'Best Blues Artist' at the 2019 San Diego Music Awards.[1]
Her sophomore release, Good as Gone, was released in March 2020. It was co-produced by Hensley and Chavez, who both featured along with Yearsley on drums, Marcos C. on bass, and Jonny Viau and Steven Ebner on horns.
Discography
Albums
Year | Title | Record label |
---|---|---|
2017 | Live | VizzTone Records |
2020 | Good as Gone | VizzTone Records |
See also
References
- ^ a b "Casey Hensley – BIO". Caseyhensleymusic.com. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- ^ a b c Gunther, Marty (17 April 2020). "Casey Hensley – Good as Gone | Album Review". Bluesblastmagazine.com. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "The Casey Hensley Band". Travelingboy.com. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Casey Hensley | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- ^ a b "Casey Hensley LIVE Featuring Laura Chavez!". Vizztone.com. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Wilcock, Don (9 February 2018). "Featured Interview – Casey Hensley". Bluesblastmagazine.com. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- ^ "Coming Out Swingin' – Candye Kane | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- ^ "Casey Hensley". San Diego Reader. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- ^ a b "Casey Hensley Good As Gone". Makingascene.org. March 14, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- ^ "Good as Gone – Casey Hensley | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- ^ "Casey Hensley – Good As Gone". Bluesmagazine.nl. February 26, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- ^ "Live – Casey Hensley | Releases | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved February 20, 2021.