Sara Cassey: Phantom Songwriter

Composer and lyricist Sara Cassey (1929-1966) is virtually unknown today. She played piano but wasn't a performing jazz pianist or a singer. In fact, she never recorded an album, despite having worked for Riverside Records. Born in Detroit, she moved to New York in the mid-1950s.

Her songs or, more aptly, tunes, were recorded by Hank Jones, Billy Taylor, Junior Mance, Johnny Griffin, Charlie Persip, Elvin Jones, Stan Kenton, Harry James and many others. As Bill Kirchner noted in an email, pianist Hank Jones was her biggest champion—recording several of her compositions.

Cassey lived in New York at 114 West 87th Street, in apartment 1B (above). Pepper Addams sublet her place in 1962. The baritone saxophonist described himself as “officially homeless" between 1961 and 1964. Gary Carner, author of Pepper Adams: Saxophone Trailblazer, quoted Adams on the subject: “I had an answering service as a mailing address and was living where I could live. It was very much a hand-to-mouth existence."

Her proximity to greats who recorded for producer Orrin Keepnews at Riverside allowed her to share her compositions with them starting in the 1950s. The musicians, in turn, happy with what they heard and recorded, told colleagues about the talented songwriter. In 1963, Cassey became a personal manager for Melba Liston and Ernie Wilkins, according to Downbeat magazine.

The reason for her death at age 37 in 1966 is unclear, since no publication in my research seems to have written an obit about her passing. Bill Kirchner tells me the cause was suicide, apparently over a failed relationship.

Let's listen to 11 interpretations of Sara Cassey's glorious songs:

Here's Cassey's Very Near Blue recorded by flugelhornist Clark Terry with pianist Thelonious Monk on Riverside in May 1958. They were backed by Sam Jones (b) and Philly Joe Jones (d)...



Here's Shadowland, with Hank Jones (p), Thad Jones (cnt), Frank Wess (fl), Frank Foster (ts), Art Davis (b) and Elvin Jones (d) on Elvin Jones's Elvin! album, recorded in December 1961, arranger by Frank Foster...



Here's the stunningly beautiful Ballad for Monsieur, recorded by tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin on his Kerry Dancers and Other Swinging Folk for Riverside in January 1962. The quartet: Johnnyy Griffin (ts), Barry Harris (p), Ron Carter (b) and Ben Riley (d)...



From the same 1962 album, here's Cassey's 25 1/2 Daze...



Here's Harry James in April 1958, from New James, playing Casey's Warm Blue Stream, a song that could easily be used as an opening theme to a Los Angeles detective film set in the 1950s...



Here's cornetist Nat Adderley on Warm Blue Stream, from his Riverside album Branching Out, backed by Johnny Griffin (ts), Gene Harris (p), Andy Simpkins (b) and Bill Dowdy (d), recorded in September 1958...



Here's vocalist Jean Turner on Warm Blue Stream, backed by the Stan Kenton Orchestra arranged by Lennie Niehaus, recorded in April 1962...



Here's Cassey's Shadowland, with Wallace Roney (tp), Robin Eubanks (tb), Craig Handy (sop,ts), Joe Locke (vib), Geri Allen (p), Lonnie Plaxico (b), and Gene Jackson (d) in December 1997...



Here are guitarists Herb Ellis and Remo Palmieri playing Cassey's Wind Flower on the album of the same name in October 1977. They were backed by George Duvivier (b) and Ron Traxler (d)...



Here's Wind Flower recorded by pianist Hank Jones with Ron Carer (b) and Tony Williams (d), live at the Village Vanguard, in February 1977...



Here's drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and the WDR Big Band recording Wind Flower at the WDR Studios Bocklemünd in Cologne, Germany, on March 2023...