#14 of 100 - Featured Drummer Ed Cassidy - Spirit / December 1970 / Little Rock , Arkansas
Notes from an Old Drummer #14 - Ed Cassidy
(Featured Drummer #14 of 100) (Notes from an Old Drummer) -December 1970-Little Rock, Arkansas- Ed Cassidy and Spirit
This is my final drummer feature for 1970. My 3 months playing in Merging Traffic before returning to Florida on January 1, 1971.
Returning back to Little Rock after gigs in Atlanta and Nashville the band had a few days off. Playing a concert in Little Rock was the band Spirit. Spirit was a band based in Los Angeles. Their most successful tune was “I Got A Line On You”.
The group I saw and heard was the original lineup, Randy California-guitars-vocals / Mark Andes-bass / Jay Ferguson-vocals / John Locke-keyboards and Randy California’s stepfather Ed Cassidy on drums. Born in 1923, Ed Cassidy had been a jazz drummer with artist including: Cannonball Adderley, Gerry Mulligan, Roland Kirk, Thelonius Monk and Lee Konitz. He also worked with Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder.
Before seeing Spirit live, I was very familiar with their (1968) LP record Spirit. This album contains the tunes Fresh Garbage and Mechanical World. Until my recent Wiki research, I learned that Marty Paich composed the horn and string arrangements.
My first impression from hearing Spirit, I noticed the unique sound and non-traditional rock band cliché. Fresh Garbage has a jazz piano solo in ¾. The bass line and guitar sound is unique as are the vocals.
Mechanical World is totally abstract compared to the rock groups in the 60s. This shows how much better things were “way back then”
Ed Cassidy plays several solos and interludes on this record.
Record labels occasionally took risk with groups to allow them to be creative. Spirit was a great group. Maybe they’re being from California had some influence on the commercial record business gatekeepers. Allowing this kind of music to be produced.
The venue I saw and heard Spirit at in Little Rock was an old hall. Spirit was the only group. You bought your ticket and walked in. It was standing only, no seats. I remember a small crowd, a few hundred or less. The hall and stage was more like a High School cafeteria. .
Again, as I’ve ranted before, this concert was before large sound systems with a microphone on every amp and drum ruined live sound.
Ed Cassidy was playing his signature Ludwig psychedelic finish drumset. This included 2 suspended concert bass drums on his left and right. John Locke’s main choice of keyboard was the old Wurlitzer piano. The old brown version, not the new black plastic finish.
Spirit sounded much like their records without the strings and additional horns. They were very West Coast. Up to that time (December 1970) most of the bands I heard (live) were East Coast.
In the 60s and 70s, my familiarity with music and bands was associated with the record labels. As groups released music and new groups appeared, music buyers became knowledgeable of various labels artist roster. Spirit was on Epic. Epic artist in the 60s included: (Dave Clark Five, Yardbirds, Donavan, Jeff Beck and various jazz, blues, folk and country artist)
Ed Cassidy passed away in 2012 (age 89) Two members are still alive. The folklore and history of Spirit’s band members is well documented, including the Stairway To Heaven-lawsuit.
Spirit was a great group. They’re progressive artistic, jazz, avant-garde progressive sound and musicianship is comparable to The Doors, in my opinion.
Ed Cassidy was a great drummer. I really enjoyed the experience to see and hear Spirit.
(Now, as a side note) I believe the statute of limitations has expired. I met a (well documented) individual at that concert.
Her nickname was “Sweet Connie” from Little Rock. You can listen to the song by Grand Funk Railroad. I’ll leave it at that.
This concludes my feature #14 drummer-Ed Cassidy. Closing out 1970, Merging Traffic played a New Years Eve gig in Biloxi, Mississippi at Frank’s Beach House. The next day, I rented a car and U-Haul trailer. I loaded up my Rogers Red Sparkle drumset, Honda 450 motorcycle and drove to Geneva, Florida.
My next drummer feature (#15) will be Bill Bruford with King Crimson. Orlando/Casselberry Jai-Alai (exact date unknown) It was early 1971.