Beloved R&B and soul saxophonist musician James Casey will posthumously release his debut album, The Kauai Project, on Wednesday, August 28. The album’s release will come one year after he passed away from colon cancer at age 40.
Although James Casey only recently emerged on New York City’s R&B and soul scene, he has been making waves in the music industry for years. From touring with classic funk band Lettuce to joining Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio’s solo band to sharing the stage with legends like The Roots, Chaka Khan, J. Cole, Wu-Tang and Dave Matthews Band, Casey has accomplished more than most musicians could ever hope. This makes it all the more surprising that Casey had never released music under his own name until the 2020s.
Casey’s attitude towards his musical legacy abruptly shifted gears, though, when he was diagnosed with Stage III colorectal cancer at just 38 years of age in August 2021, which served as an awakening in so many ways. Deciding to make the most of his time, both for himself and for others, Casey let go of all limits to his musical career and, for the first time, prioritized his own musical legacy.
The seeds of his debut, The Kauai Project, were planted while he lived on the Hawaiian island of Kauai for nearly two years. While working on a COVID-era side project, Casey produced tracks with acapella samples to promote his and fellow musicians’ virtual live stream events. The resulting catalog of beats became the foundation and inspiration for his solo debut. Alongside Casey’s announcement of his plans for The Kauai Project, he released his first single, “New Bloom,” in March 2023.
In turn, Casey produced a mini-documentary to highlight his journey of stepping out as a solo artist in parallel to the stark reality of his terminal diagnosis. He aimed to transform his difficult reality into a call to action for others to avoid his fate—to be their own health advocate, get colonoscopies, and know your family history of cancer. “The thing about colon cancer is it is preventable if you catch it early enough,” Casey told the Today Show in March 2023, sharing how the lyrics for “New Bloom” were his mantra for positivity in the face of any circumstance. “If I’ve got today then that’s enough, I can do something with this time.”
Entrusting the EP’s final act to his close musical family, the last single from The Kauai Project, “This Place (pars Animus)”, will release on August 28. The song is a tribute to his band Animus Rexx, an explosive fusion project established with musicians Randy Runyon, Reuben Cainer, BIGYUKI, and Justin Tyson. Runyon and Cainer provided the song’s finishing touches, while his wife, Ayla Casey, laid the groundwork to carry his mission and debut EP forward.
“I am beyond grateful to help honor James’ life with the culmination of a project that meant so much to him,” said Ayla Casey. “James did not want his absence to weigh on us – please join me in celebrating the love and joy his music continues to cultivate.”
Following his passing, Casey’s family and friends hosted a sold-out memorial party at the Brooklyn Bowl in November 2023, which featured performances by Trey Anastasio, Louis Cato, Nikki Glaspie, Jennifer Hartswick, Brady Watt, and dozens of other musicians that shared the stage with James throughout his career. The benefit concert raised more than $32,000 to support cancer charities hand-picked by Casey for their work in the community.
The Kauai Project limited-edition vinyl pre-order is available now via Relix Marketplace, with vinyl shipments starting in September. For more information about James Casey’s life, advocacy and music, and to pre-order The Kauai Project, visit here.
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