Trey Anastasio Band saxophonist James Casey spoke about living with colon cancer as a touring musician on the latest episode of Andy Frasco’s World Saving Podcast. Casey discussed what he had to go through in order to pull off participating in TAB’s recently completed tour as he continued to receive chemotherapy treatment.
The interview started with James Casey recalling his upbringing as the child of a pastor and choir director. “Church was it,” Casey said and detailed growing up in a musical household. While he eventually moved on to secular music, he learned so much from his time playing and listening to gospel music as a kid.
Talk then turned to James’ cancer diagnosis. He had a rough reaction to his first round of chemotherapy. “The side effects were so bad to open up the refrigerator I literally had to put on gloves,” Casey revealed of his sensitivity to the cold. “I was miserable. I couldn’t play because of where the port was,” James said of the difficult kind of chemotherapy he had to take. “Within all that, I found little nuggets of things that worked for me and it was always going back to making something. Like maybe I had a little melody [I created],” Casey added of trying to stay positive.
James switched doctors and went back on chemo. This time, he had the port moved so he would be able to play the saxophone. “I couldn’t [play sax] for the first five months of this,” James explained. “With this new chemotherapy I’m on right now, we’ve been able to dial things in so precisely with very very specific body axe, that I’ve been able to do what I’m able to while going through chemo.”
Casey revealed he’s on a two-week chemo cycle right now. “I’m literally attached to a bag for 48 hours,” James said. The saxophonist laid out an example of what he had to deal with on TAB tour:
“We just did this tour and in the middle of the tour, on the second night of Phoenix I took a redeye. Halfway through the show I left and took a redeye back to New York. I got here and they did the bloodwork and whatever you go through before the chemo. Then, they gave me the cocktail the this and the that, a whole bunch of things. I’m in the chair for about three hours and then at the end of all that cocktail of drugs and whatever they attached the rest of the chemo bag. I take that and I take it home. I’m basically crashed for two days straight. Literally like 18 to 20 hours a day and just sleep. Then, I took it off. I detached it and we literally went to the airport and flew on a redeye to California so I could play the Greek Theatre the next day.”
James had high praise for Trey Anastasio’s crew and how they helped him participate in the tour. Casey noted colon cancer is 100% preventable if you get tested early enough and advised everyone listening/watching to get a colonoscopy. The New York City native then explained how he learned he had colon cancer in 2021. He underwent emergency surgery and was hospitalized for over a week after which time he started chemotherapy treatment.
Other topics hit upon were the lack of stamina he’s currently dealing with, the importance of consuming electrolytes while undergoing chemo, moving from Washington D.C. to the suburbs of Phoenix in the 1990s and falling in love with a Buddy Rich big band CD.
Listen to the full episode below:
