Acclaimed saxophonist and vocalist James Casey of Trey Anastasio Band has released a special Christmas album – A Little Something for Everyone – available on streaming services now via 12-23 Records. After the initial vinyl pressing sold out in under 12 hours and raised $6,000 for colon cancer charities, today Casey announces a second run of vinyl and limited-edition merch store to continue to support the colorectal cancer community, of which he is a member.
Created in partnership with Nancy Langhorne Foundation and recorded in between chemotherapy treatments, A Little Something for Everyone offers four songs of holiday joy across funk, jazz, R&B and gospel tributes, including Casey’s original track, “Christmafunk.” The EP also features a special instrumental saxophone version of “Joy To The World,” available exclusively on vinyl.
Vinyl copies of A Little Something for Everyone will be available for pre-order via 12-23 Records through Dec. 25 and will ship in 4-5 months due to production timelines. Meanwhile, Casey’s online merch store offers t-shirts, hoodies, beanies and pins available for purchase now to ship before the holidays. All proceeds from vinyl will be split between the HOPES Clinic and the Colorectal Cancer Alliance (CCA), with an additional 15 percent of all merchandise sales benefiting CCA.
Casey discovered his late-stage cancer diagnosis in July 2021 when he fell ill after a Red Rocks performance with Bill Kreutzmann’s Billy and the Kids ensemble. Emergency surgery days later removed a tumor in his colon, and Casey was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer at just age 38. While he kept the diagnosis private initially, Casey was inspired to use his platform to help others after learning that Black Americans are not only more likely to get colon cancer, but also more likely to suffer from early onset and late stage diagnoses, like himself. As part of the CCA’s #TheyDidntSay campaign, Casey seeks to raise awareness for colon cancer and change the narrative of how Black Americans discuss medical histories within their families.
“The thing about colon cancer, at least in the Black community, is that it’s hereditary and it hits us 20 percent more than anybody else. And once we get diagnosed, we have a 30 percent chance more of dying, which is really unfortunate,” Casey explained while speaking about his involvement with the #TheyDidntSay campaign during a recent interview with WNYC. “Had I known that I had cancer in my family, I would have gone to get checked before… If there’s cancer in your family, please let the people know so they can get tested and they won’t have to deal with this.”
A Little Something For Everyone marks Casey’s first recording under his own name. Recorded at The Creamery in Brooklyn, the album features top New York session musicians including Randy Runyon (guitar), Ian Faquini (guitar), Matt Owens (trumpet), Steve Jenkins (bass), Corey Bernhard (keys) and Derrick White (horns), who arranged the album’s rendition of “Joy to the World.”
While Casey has recorded on albums with many other artists, including Phish, Talib Kweli, Michael Kiwanuka, J. Cole, Lettuce and Chromeo, A Little Something for Everyone is the first music released under his own name. Following the holidays, Casey plans to release his first original EP, Kauai, in early spring 2023. For more information, visit jamescaseysax.com.
A Little Something for Everyone Track Listing:
1. Christmafunk
2. Christmas Time Is Here
3. Joy To The World
4. His Eye Is On The Sparrow
