Shingle Creek Music
The Music of John Casolary
Bio
Singer/songwriter
John Casolary
was raised in San Jose, CA when the halcyon Santa Clara
Valley was becoming Silicon Valley.
As a child, John tried clarinet, piano, and finally settled on the organ at the urging of his dad who wanted him to play church music, and his mom, a pianist who loved show tunes and ballads. By age 11 he was playing the massive pipe organ at church, terrified by the nun who kept messing with the stops. The British Invasion seemed way cooler, so the adolescent John converted to the “religion of pop/rock”. He bought his older sister’s guitar for $15 and taught himself to play so that he could write songs.
In those days, keyboard players who understood chord theory were a valuable commodity in the rock world, so John borrowed money from his dad to buy a portable organ. With eight kids in the family, it was imperative that he pay off that loan by working in bands. In the late `60’s it seemed like every block had a garage band, but John’s actually got paying gigs. By `67 the 13 year-old middle kid was playing in the band, Revolutionary Sounds with 18-year-olds in the midst of a cultural revolution. “Talk about being thrown into the pool at an early age! In retrospect, it’s amazing that I survived and how great my parents were for letting my bands practice in their living room, police calls and all.”
John worked his way through high school and college by playing in various bands, most notably:
New Life played frat parties, outdoor concerts, dances, etc… and was the back-up band for Australia/New Zealand pop singer Ray Columbus, recording two of Ray's songs: Polka Dot Resistance and East Pinkerton Street and one New Life song: Why Now Girl? co-written by John Casolary and guitarist John Fletcher on the compilation album, San Francisco International Pop Festival . The band went through many personnel changes from '67-'69 until John handed it over to his younger brother, Rick.
Brother’s Day '69-'71 was formed when John and guitarist extraordinaire, Chuck Hornaday got together. This rock quartet performed a blend of cover songs and originals at various venues. They recorded whenever they could scrape the money together and one of John’s songs, Save Your Lovin’ got local airplay. Brother’s Day opened for big acts such as Tower Of Power and Spencer Davis, but the highlight for these teenagers was performing at Bill Graham’s Fillmore West two times just before it closed. “I was so fascinated with the legendary graffiti on the backstage bathroom wall that I didn’t realize we were getting a standing ovation until Graham himself burst in and said, ‘Get your asses back on stage’. How cool can it get for high school kids?!”
Mosaic'71-'73 was a lounge band that hired John to replace their keyboard player. “Even though it seemed tame to me, I needed some stability as I started college. I brought some rock attitude to the band and they helped me develop my soul chops and dynamics. They introduced me to polyester and were great poker pals.”
Midget '73-'74 was a chance to go back to rock ‘n roll when former New Life member, Tim Rudolf asked John to join the band. They owned an ARP synthesizer and were willing to sell it to him. Besides, they had the coolest logo: “Midget is bigger than you think”. (politically incorrect nowadays) But, being half-way through college yet still playing at high school mixers after having worked in nightclubs, soon convinced John that it was time to move on.
Fresh '74-'76 was formed when former Brother’s Day guitarist Chuck Hornaday approached John about starting a duo to work in steak houses. Until then, most of these rooms used folk musicians or piano bar crooners. Imagine two long-haired guys showing up with a band’s worth of equipment, playing everything from Yes to Seals & Crofts. John & Chuck blew them away!
After a trip through Europe and graduating college with a degree in Political Science and Sociology, John decided not to pursue a law degree. “I believe in justice, but lawyers are about rhetoric. I’ll use my rhetorical skills to write intelligent lyrics.” John took a leap of faith and went solo in 1976.
Using the stage name John Elias , he entertained at top nightspots in the San Francisco Bay Area for nine years. He sang, played piano and synthesizer while kicking Moog bass with his left foot, also playing acoustic guitars, and harmonica. John sang songs from Elvis to Steely Dan, but only the tunes that he had a sincere connection to. This allowed him to slip in a few of his original songs. “It was a freak show, but I didn’t mind if I could finance my writing and recording while buying a house. That Sociology degree really came in handy at the nightly circus.”
In 1979 John released the solo album Cheeper By The Eleven (No, that’s not a typo. There was a cheeping newly-hatched chick on the cover.) His younger brother, Rick played drums on the project with Amy Beasley on bass guitar. It’s out of print, but someday he hopes to re-master and digitally release it.
As a child, John tried clarinet, piano, and finally settled on the organ at the urging of his dad who wanted him to play church music, and his mom, a pianist who loved show tunes and ballads. By age 11 he was playing the massive pipe organ at church, terrified by the nun who kept messing with the stops. The British Invasion seemed way cooler, so the adolescent John converted to the “religion of pop/rock”. He bought his older sister’s guitar for $15 and taught himself to play so that he could write songs.
In those days, keyboard players who understood chord theory were a valuable commodity in the rock world, so John borrowed money from his dad to buy a portable organ. With eight kids in the family, it was imperative that he pay off that loan by working in bands. In the late `60’s it seemed like every block had a garage band, but John’s actually got paying gigs. By `67 the 13 year-old middle kid was playing in the band, Revolutionary Sounds with 18-year-olds in the midst of a cultural revolution. “Talk about being thrown into the pool at an early age! In retrospect, it’s amazing that I survived and how great my parents were for letting my bands practice in their living room, police calls and all.”
John worked his way through high school and college by playing in various bands, most notably:
New Life played frat parties, outdoor concerts, dances, etc… and was the back-up band for Australia/New Zealand pop singer Ray Columbus, recording two of Ray's songs: Polka Dot Resistance and East Pinkerton Street and one New Life song: Why Now Girl? co-written by John Casolary and guitarist John Fletcher on the compilation album, San Francisco International Pop Festival . The band went through many personnel changes from '67-'69 until John handed it over to his younger brother, Rick.
Brother’s Day '69-'71 was formed when John and guitarist extraordinaire, Chuck Hornaday got together. This rock quartet performed a blend of cover songs and originals at various venues. They recorded whenever they could scrape the money together and one of John’s songs, Save Your Lovin’ got local airplay. Brother’s Day opened for big acts such as Tower Of Power and Spencer Davis, but the highlight for these teenagers was performing at Bill Graham’s Fillmore West two times just before it closed. “I was so fascinated with the legendary graffiti on the backstage bathroom wall that I didn’t realize we were getting a standing ovation until Graham himself burst in and said, ‘Get your asses back on stage’. How cool can it get for high school kids?!”
Mosaic'71-'73 was a lounge band that hired John to replace their keyboard player. “Even though it seemed tame to me, I needed some stability as I started college. I brought some rock attitude to the band and they helped me develop my soul chops and dynamics. They introduced me to polyester and were great poker pals.”
Midget '73-'74 was a chance to go back to rock ‘n roll when former New Life member, Tim Rudolf asked John to join the band. They owned an ARP synthesizer and were willing to sell it to him. Besides, they had the coolest logo: “Midget is bigger than you think”. (politically incorrect nowadays) But, being half-way through college yet still playing at high school mixers after having worked in nightclubs, soon convinced John that it was time to move on.
Fresh '74-'76 was formed when former Brother’s Day guitarist Chuck Hornaday approached John about starting a duo to work in steak houses. Until then, most of these rooms used folk musicians or piano bar crooners. Imagine two long-haired guys showing up with a band’s worth of equipment, playing everything from Yes to Seals & Crofts. John & Chuck blew them away!
After a trip through Europe and graduating college with a degree in Political Science and Sociology, John decided not to pursue a law degree. “I believe in justice, but lawyers are about rhetoric. I’ll use my rhetorical skills to write intelligent lyrics.” John took a leap of faith and went solo in 1976.
Using the stage name John Elias , he entertained at top nightspots in the San Francisco Bay Area for nine years. He sang, played piano and synthesizer while kicking Moog bass with his left foot, also playing acoustic guitars, and harmonica. John sang songs from Elvis to Steely Dan, but only the tunes that he had a sincere connection to. This allowed him to slip in a few of his original songs. “It was a freak show, but I didn’t mind if I could finance my writing and recording while buying a house. That Sociology degree really came in handy at the nightly circus.”
In 1979 John released the solo album Cheeper By The Eleven (No, that’s not a typo. There was a cheeping newly-hatched chick on the cover.) His younger brother, Rick played drums on the project with Amy Beasley on bass guitar. It’s out of print, but someday he hopes to re-master and digitally release it.
By 1980 John was Entertainment Director at the Customs House in Foster City, CA where he performed his show, as well as booking other acts and hosting a weekly open-mic. The owner wanted a Gong-Show, but John didn't have the heart to gong fellow performers off the stage. So he developed Stage Fright Night. "I figured, if performers had the stones to get on stage, they deserved the spotlight for a while." The gong remained, but mostly as an emergency prop. He still stays in touch with some of the musicians he met through The Customs House. One of them, Gary Pomeroy, of Bongo & Guy, later played guitars on John's song
Rap Is Crap
.
In late 1980 John recorded three songs in Nashville, one of which,
I’ve Really Changed
, is included in his CD,
Shingletown Sessions
. The other two songs,
You’re Comfortable
and
Singin’ My Heart Out
, were released in 1981 as a single, but were hung up in publisher’s limbo.
(A note to songwriters; always get a reversion clause!) The harrowing Nashville/Hollywood experience did inspire John to write the honky-tonk song, Dire Need In Dyersburg, also included in Shingletown Sessions.
(A note to songwriters; always get a reversion clause!) The harrowing Nashville/Hollywood experience did inspire John to write the honky-tonk song, Dire Need In Dyersburg, also included in Shingletown Sessions.
In 1983 John and his wife Terri moved to Shasta County so he could grow wine grapes and
work on his music. For two years he commuted to the Bay Area doing the
John Elias Show
.
In 1985 when their son Michael was born, John gave up the road and settled into life as
“Mr. Mom/ Winemaker/ Songwriter”.
To help pay the bills, he started a mobile D.J. business. “I hated spinning other people’s music. It was total prostitution, but I had the equipment and the stage skills. So I chose to work at night and spend the days with my son. I remember DJ-ing a junior high dance when a 12 year-old kid told me that I 'sucked' because I wouldn’t play a rap song that the principal told me I couldn’t play. I was thinking, what would my old band-buddies say if they saw me doing this crap?” John went home and wrote the song Rap Is Crap .
“Mr. Mom/ Winemaker/ Songwriter”.
To help pay the bills, he started a mobile D.J. business. “I hated spinning other people’s music. It was total prostitution, but I had the equipment and the stage skills. So I chose to work at night and spend the days with my son. I remember DJ-ing a junior high dance when a 12 year-old kid told me that I 'sucked' because I wouldn’t play a rap song that the principal told me I couldn’t play. I was thinking, what would my old band-buddies say if they saw me doing this crap?” John went home and wrote the song Rap Is Crap .
During October 2001, John sang lead vocals on a song by long-time Mosaic buddy, Dave Akina.
Climb
was included in the CD
September Rising
, where a diverse group of composers, musicians, and audio engineers from around the world joined together via the Internet to raise funds for the victims of the 9/11 tragedy. “Since Dave played two guitar tracks on my album back in ’78, I figured that it was about time to return the favor. Besides, I was honored to be part of such a great project and to be given the opportunity to help when so many of us felt helpless.” In Sept., 2021, John sang Climb
at Dave's memorial service. RIP Dave Akina.
While working on his music in Shingletown, John had an opportunity to use his degree in Political Science by being appointed to the Shasta County Planning Commission. He served for nine years while juggling all of his other hats. In 2006 he ran for County Supervisor, finishing 3rd out of 6 candidates district-wide. “Close, but not close enough. At least I won the Shingletown precincts.”
In 2007, while recording what was to become Shingletown Sessions, John was hired to be the vineyard manager at Anselmo Vineyards. He loved it there, but between the commercial vineyard and his own, he was doing hard manual labor seven days a week. After a year and much soul-searching, John decided to leave Anselmo’s and tend to his abandoned children, his songs.
Having experienced his share of bad publishing and recording deals, John opted to independently release a CD of some of his unheard gems. He had to pick 12 of his songs to finish, re-record or re-mix. “It was a Sophie’s Choice. I love all my songs for different reasons. Which of my babies will live beyond me?” Shingletown Sessions is part one of the culmination of a lifetime’s work and was released October 2012.
While working on his music in Shingletown, John had an opportunity to use his degree in Political Science by being appointed to the Shasta County Planning Commission. He served for nine years while juggling all of his other hats. In 2006 he ran for County Supervisor, finishing 3rd out of 6 candidates district-wide. “Close, but not close enough. At least I won the Shingletown precincts.”
In 2007, while recording what was to become Shingletown Sessions, John was hired to be the vineyard manager at Anselmo Vineyards. He loved it there, but between the commercial vineyard and his own, he was doing hard manual labor seven days a week. After a year and much soul-searching, John decided to leave Anselmo’s and tend to his abandoned children, his songs.
Having experienced his share of bad publishing and recording deals, John opted to independently release a CD of some of his unheard gems. He had to pick 12 of his songs to finish, re-record or re-mix. “It was a Sophie’s Choice. I love all my songs for different reasons. Which of my babies will live beyond me?” Shingletown Sessions is part one of the culmination of a lifetime’s work and was released October 2012.
Back in his D.J.-ing days, John noticed that there really wasn't a special Mother-Son dance for Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, Military send-offs, etc... So, he wrote a beautiful, easy waltz for the moms. After years of it sitting on a shelf, John recorded
Who's This Man? (dancing with me)
at his studio in Shingletown, persuading his wife, Terri to sing the lead. It was released as a single in the fall of 2013.
In April, 2018, John released his CD Pounder, a collection of more un-published demo's that he re-recorded in his studio, performing all the vocals and instruments, with the exception of an outstanding pedal steel part played by "Shorty" Rogers on the song, "Marty's Bar". The title, "Pounder" is a triple-entendre; the pounded road piano on the album cover, the wood-splitting rounds on the inner sleeve photo, and the fact that John is literally playing with himself while recording multiple tracks.
In April, 2018, John released his CD Pounder, a collection of more un-published demo's that he re-recorded in his studio, performing all the vocals and instruments, with the exception of an outstanding pedal steel part played by "Shorty" Rogers on the song, "Marty's Bar". The title, "Pounder" is a triple-entendre; the pounded road piano on the album cover, the wood-splitting rounds on the inner sleeve photo, and the fact that John is literally playing with himself while recording multiple tracks.
In 2019, John got back the publishing rights to two of his favorite songs. "You're Comfortable" and "Singin' My Heart Out". They are included in his latest album, Almost Hits & Dubious Demos,
released December, 2022.
Since he no longer performs live on stage, John Casolary is currently working on recording and publishing more of his song catalogue, wine-growing, and cooking gourmet food. “I’ve had more than enough stage-time to last me two life-times. I’ve never been a virtuoso player. I’m a songwriter first and foremost. It's all about the song!”
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