Casey MacGill plays rhythm on the ukulele with a super-solid feel, supporting his signature vocals. Whether it’s his authentic vintage swing strum, the groovy shuffle strum, or the sensuous rumba strum, he brings a deep pulse to the music.
MacGill began strumming in earnest during the early 60’s folk music scare, and busked movie lines for Easy Rider and Midnight Cowboy, playing across the street from each other near the UCLA campus in Westwood, California. He appeared on the Tonight Show (Johnny Carson), the infamous Gong Show, and the movie Frances, starring Jessica Lange.
With his legendary trio Mood Indigo he charmed Hollywood Royalty, hosting celebrity sit-ins by Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell, Manhattan Transfer, and Stevie Wonder. He and Mood Indigo even inspired a hoofer named Fred Astaire to break into a dance while holding a plate of food!
Casey opened the Broadway musical Swing! walking into the spotlight on a darkened stage while vamping on his ukulele to sing the first number. MacGill has made music for swing dancers all over the world. He was on the cover of the Summer 2018 Ukulele Magazine which included an extensive article on his musical history.
Casey recently released a two volume collection of original music called Love Letter, backed by 56 musicians in different ensembles.
He shares his feel for the ukulele with audiences and students at festivals and workshops demonstrating why “It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing”!