Blue Oasis

Jim Casey is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, born in Norfolk, Nebraska. Casey emigrated south to Memphis in his late teens as part of the pop group, The Smoke Ring. Recording in the Sam Phillips Recording Studio, Casey and the Smoke Ring released four singles on the Mala label and Buddah Records, scoring a chart success with No, Not Much. The band toured the country in the late 60's,with appearances on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. Casey left the group in1970 and moved to Nashville with his producers and publishers, Dickey Lee and Allen Reynolds,( who would later discover and produce Garth Brooks.) As a career songwriter in Nashville, Jim Casey has written songs for country stars, The Oak Ridge Boys, Charlie Pride, Bobby Bare, Sammi Smith, Waylon Jennings, and Blues and Folk artists, Ritchie Havens and Albert Collins. Casey currently records and tours with his Lightnin' Band; a veteran Country rock group, who love to journey into soul music and the musically unusual. Blue Oasis was first released in 1979, with singles, Toby and Close Your Eyes, getting Billboard picks and national commercial country airplay. A current listening suggests the music of Blue Oasis is a better fit in 2010 than in 1980. The music is spontaneously alive, with 'no tuners' and the feel of veteran road musicians who knew their material well. Pass That Joint (and play that song again), while a little edgy for 1980, would fit into the alternative country feel of today's satellite radio and fans craving for 'the real deal'. A gem in this collection is a previously unreleased cut, Tired of the Road, Joe. Written by Casey co-writer Bob McDill, Tired of the Road, Joe is a haunting rendition of life on the road, getting older, and grasping for a dream. It features Lightnin' Band harmonies and the bluer than blue harmonica of Gene 'Birdlegg' Pitman. Casey's Lightnin' Band, composed of Stan Adkins on guitar, John Klosner on drums, Nick Leland on 12 string, and Don Petersen on bass, deliver a raw and ready performance in the studio. The Lightnin' Band is joined by Young Country, who back Casey to a 'T' and feature Bernie Kavame on acoustic, Robert Lewis on drums, Bob Letheby on bass, and Greg Kellog on Steel. A great performance on Blue Oasis album was given by the late John Harris on piano, organ, and synthesizer. Harris, the original keyboard player for southern rock legends, Barefoot Jerry, toured with Casey and his band, as they went immediately into the studio to record this roadworthy collection on Blue Oasis. The interplay between best friends, Harris and Casey, is especially prominent on The Wolf, where Casey trades saxophone licks with Harris on Moog synthesizer. Of note is the performance of fiddler, Tommy Williams, who shows off his country feel, as one of Nashville's most requested studio fiddle players. Jim Casey currently splits time between his hometown of Norfolk, Nebraska and Nashville, Tennessee. Reflects Casey, 'I get my inspiration and ideas from those hometown folks. They don't know I'm always taking mental notes and writing a song in my head. I find ordinary people much more stimulating than music business executives!' Blue Oasis and Jim Casey are original and real. Come...water your soul with a drink from the...

Blue Oasis.