legend Jim Scott, who also engineered and mixed. It was co-produced by Widespread Panic’s Dave Schools, Neal’s bandmate in Hard Working Americans, and his first producer and ongoing mentor, L.A. The project has blossomed into a five LP/three-CD box set, Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal, comprising 41 tracks. With that money, and with so many members of Casal’s extended musical family eager to participate, Waldman was able to realize his vision-and then some. Private donations lifted the recording budget to the scale of an old-school major label project-exponentially bigger than anything Casal had ever had to spend on his own records. Waldman initiated a Kickstarter campaign, and Casal’s loyal fans answered the call, donating a whopping $155,000. A large portion of proceeds would be earmarked for MusiCares, Backline, and other mental health organizations for musicians. Inspired by the quality and emotiveness of the performances at the Capitol concert, Waldman began drawing up the blueprint for an ambitious recording project intended to celebrate Casal’s life and music, one that would ideally bring him the recognition that had criminally evaded him during his life. That marked the first act of the newly formed Neal Casal Music Foundation, which has subsequently provided music instruments and lessons to students in New Jersey and New York state schools where Casal was born and raised. The benefit, featuring performances of Casal’s songs by a number of his artist friends, brought in more than $25,000, which was donated to MusiCares. He put the wheels in motion by organizing a tribute concert at one of Casal’s favorite venues, the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y., which took place a month after his death. As he tried to process this incomprehensible loss, Gary Waldman, Neal’s close friend and longtime manager, became the guardian of his legacy. Concurrently, the prolific polymath made music with his friends in Hazy Malaze, the interconnected Beachwood Sparks and GospelbeacH, Circles Around the Sun, Hard Working Americans and Skiffle Players, among other bands-as he documented his travels with striking photographs-during a career spanning a quarter century.Įveryone who’d crossed paths with Casal was devastated to learn that he’d taken his own life in 2019-this gentle soul with his boyish smile, angelic voice and big heart, who’d touched our souls with his deeply empathetic music, tragically succumbing to despair. He was best known as a member of Ryan Adams and the Cardinals (2005-09) and the Chris Robinson Brotherhood (2011-19), while also an in-demand session guitarist and singer. None of the 14 albums he released under his own name between 1995’s Fade Away Diamond Time and 2011’s Sweeten the Distance sold many copies, although they were beloved by those discerning listeners who’d discovered him, primarily by word of mouth. Tuxedo released their self-titled debut in early 2015.Neal Casal wasn’t a household name-far from it. He spent the next several years establishing himself as a producer before forming the synth-funk duo Tuxedo with neo-soul artist Mayer Hawthorne. 2010 would prove to be a prolific year for Jake as he released two collaborative albums, The Stimulus Package with Philly-based rapper Freeway and Patience with California's Truthlive. Alchemist, Busta Rhymes, Slug, and Young Buck were just some of the guest artists appearing on this diverse full-length. In 2008 he helmed his own debut album, White Van Music, released by the Rhymesayers label. Kane Flow." Work for everyone from Planet Asia to Lil Scrappy would follow, and then in 2007 he produced the high-profile track "All of Me" for 50 Cent and Mary J. His relationship with MF Doom would begin a year later via De La Soul and their track "Rock Co. 2 and another on Beg for Mercy, the debut album from 50 Cent's G-Unit crew. A steady stream of work followed, with 2003 being a monumental year with a track on DJ Babu's Duck Season, Vol. When Supreme began his Conception label, Jake was hired to produce Eclipse's "World Premier," a Pete Rock-influenced cut that would land on J-Rocc's 1998 mix Walkman Rotation. After dropping off a tape of beats to his favorite record store, his productions landed in the hands of fellow producer Mr. Born Jacob Dutton, he got his break while attending the University of Washington. ![]() One of the few who has worked with both superstar 50 Cent and underground hero MF Doom, Seattle-based producer Jake One spans the hip-hop spectrum.
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