KFAI’s MinneCulture / Live From Minnesota: Casey O’Brien / Daniel Zamzow

Casey O’Brien is a bass guitar player from the Twin Cities. This recording from Jazz Central Studios in Southeast Minneapolis showcases O’Brien’s original compositions realized by his quartet featuring Nathan Hanson on saxophones, Ted Godbout on keys, Davu Seru on drums, and Mr. O’Brien on bass. Produced for KFAI by Daniel Zamzow.

MinneCulture programs are part of KFAI’s Legacy Project, which highlights Minnesota arts, culture, history and the environment. MinneCulture airs every Wednesday evening from 7:30 to 8pm. The program features short stories from our 10,000 Fresh Voices series, audio documentaries, and live local performances.

KFAI is part of the AMPERS/IPR network (Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations/Independent Public Radio).

All MinneCulture programs are uploaded to ampers.org.

Funding for MinneCulture comes from KFAI listeners, and the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

KFAI’s MinneCulture stories and concerts highlight our state’s art and cultural heritage. The radio show airs at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Listen online at kfai.org or on the radio: 90.3 FM Minneapolis or 106.7 FM St. Paul.

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Best Of The Twin Cities / City Pages

CP_Bestof2015Brothers Casey and Graham O’Brien could be the tightest and most prolific rhythmic one-two punch in Twin Cities history. In addition to teaming up on projects under their own names, Graham on drums and/or Casey on bass have enhanced albums from No Bird Sing, Moon & Pollution, PaviElle, Kristoff Krane, Carnage the Executioner, Face Candy, Camp Dark, FIX, Sonny Knight & the Lakers, and countless others. Both are ace producers inclined to seek mind-melting configurations, scale-busting emotional tonnage, and balls-out live execution. See them, feel them, and fear them.

CP Staff 

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Vita.MN / Tom Surowicz

GhostdanceProbably best-known around town as the rock-solid, hard-driving bassist of the ebullient Sonny Knight & The Lakers, Casey O’Brien is an improvising jazz man at heart. He proves it on a spare and beautiful new trio release called, “Ghost Dance,” co-starring the simpatico drummer, Davu Seru, and Fantastic Merlins saxophonist, Nathan Hanson. The often folksy-sounding, accessible “Ghost Dance” truly seduces the listener. It should find favor with fans of world jazz heroes Don Cherry, David Bond, and Yusef Lateef, also with older listeners hip to the Jimmy Giuffre 3, and with young hometown fans of Happy Apple’s gentler, more contemplative tracks. “Ghost Dance” is a low-key gem.

Tom Surowicz – Vita.MN

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Jazz Favorites of 2014 / David Cazares / MPR

Ghostdance“One of the best surprises of the year came in December, when bassist Casey O’Brien announced a new recording that includes Nathan Hanson on saxophones and Davu Seru on drums.On “Ghost Dance,” the trio performs eight original compositions by O’Brien, the house bass player for the soul and R&B label Secret Stash. On the album’s moody and flowing tracks, the musicians produce sounds that dance in the air.”

David Cazares – MPR

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Our Two Cents / Bebopified / Pamela Espeland

Ghostdance“Because this came as such a sweet end-of-year surprise. It almost didn’t make the list; I learned about it second-hand and listened at the last possible minute. (It wasn’t officially available until December 14. The CD release is set for January 5 at Icehouse.) So glad I did, because it’s a beauty. O’Brien on bass, Nathan Hanson on saxophones and Davu Seru on drums play eight of O’Brien’s original compositions. This is music of seeking and finding, pensiveness, tenderness, and a spirituality reminiscent of Charles Lloyd. Even when the tempo speeds up, it takes its time.”

Pamela Espeland – Bebopified

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