Casey Abrams
Casey Abrams performing in 2016
Casey Abrams performing in 2016
Background information
Born (1991-02-12) February 12, 1991
Austin, Texas, U.S.
OriginIdyllwild, California
GenresJazz, rock, blues
Occupation(s)Musician, singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, double bass, piano, melodica[1]
Years active2011–present
Labels19, Concord Records, Chesky Records
Websitecaseybassy.com

Casey Abrams (born February 12, 1991) is an American musician from Idyllwild, California, who finished in sixth place in the tenth season of American Idol, five weeks after being saved from elimination by the judges. A self-titled debut album was released in 2012 through Concord Records. Tales from the Gingerbread House was released on January 29, 2016.

Early life

Abrams was born on February 12, 1991, in Austin, Texas, to Pam Pierce and Ira Abrams.[2][3] His father is Jewish and his mother is from a Catholic background, and Abrams grew up in an interfaith family.[4] He spent his early years in the Chicago area, first in Evanston, Illinois, then in Wilmette, where he attended McKenzie Elementary School.[5]

Abrams later moved to California and attended middle school and high school there. He was a student at Idyllwild Arts Academy in Idyllwild, California,[6] where his father taught film production.[2] At Idyllwild Arts, he studied classical bass instruction and improvisation, and participated in the jazz ensembles, gaining a foundation in music history, piano, and jazz piano, and learning to write musical scores for films.[7]

After graduating from Idyllwild in 2009, he attended University of Colorado at Boulder as a music major.[8] He worked as a film camp counselor at Idyllwild Arts Summer Camp prior to his appearance on American Idol.

Abrams suffers from ulcerative colitis,[9] an inflammatory disease which causes ulceration and inflammation of the colon, and that occasionally requires blood transfusions, which resulted in his having to be hospitalized while on American Idol.[10]

Abrams lists as his musical influences Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Oscar Peterson, and James Taylor, as well as Marshall Hawkins, head of the jazz department at Idyllwild Arts Academy.[11]

American Idol

Overview

Abrams auditioned for the tenth season of American Idol in Austin, Texas. He was selected as one of the Top 24 semi-finalists, but two days before he was due to perform for the semi-finals, he suffered severe stomach pains and was rushed to the hospital.[12] He was well enough to perform on performance night, and was one of the five male vote receivers to advance to the Top 13;[13] however, he missed the Top 13 results show due to his illness. He was the lowest vote receiver on the Top 11 result show, but was saved by the judges; they chose to save him immediately, stopping his supposedly last performance on the show halfway through it. He is the third finalist to be saved by the judges in three seasons.

Abrams was eliminated from the competition on April 28, 2011, finishing in sixth place. During his last performance he sang "I Put a Spell on You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins, a song he had performed during the semi-finals. During the performance he kissed audience members, rolled onto the stage, thanked the judges, and sang the last two words ("you're mine") to fellow contestant Haley Reinhart.

On May 25, 2011, Abrams sang "Fat Bottomed Girls" with Jack Black on the American Idol finale.

Performances and results

Episode Theme Song choice Original artist Order # Result
Audition Auditioner's Choice
 "I Don't Need No Doctor" Ray Charles N/A Advanced
Hollywood Round, Part 1 First Solo "Lullaby of Birdland" Ella Fitzgerald N/A Advanced
Hollywood Round, Part 2 Group Performance "Get Ready" The Temptations N/A Advanced
Hollywood Round, Part 3 Second Solo "Georgia on My Mind" Hoagy Carmichael N/A Advanced
Las Vegas Round Songs of The Beatles
Group Performance		 "A Hard Day's Night" The Beatles N/A Advanced
Hollywood Round Final Final Solo "Why Don't You Do Right?" Kansas Joe McCoy N/A Advanced
Top 24 (12 Men) Personal Choice "I Put a Spell on You" Screamin' Jay Hawkins 12 Advanced
Top 13 Your Personal Idol "With a Little Help from My Friends" The Beatles 2 Safe
Top 12 Year You Were Born "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Nirvana 10 Safe
Top 11 Motown "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" The Miracles 1 Saved1
Top 112 Elton John "Your Song" Elton John 9 Safe
Top 9 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" Creedence Clearwater Revival 3 Safe
Top 8 Songs from the Movies "Nature Boy" Nat King Cole 5 Safe
Top 7 Songs from the 21st Century "Harder to Breathe" Maroon 5 5 Safe
Top 6 Carole King Duet "I Feel the Earth Move"
with Haley Reinhart		 Carole King 3 Eliminated
Solo "Hi-De-Ho" The City 7
  • ^Note 1 Abrams received the lowest number of votes; however, the judges decided to use their one save of the season to allow him to remain in the competition, resulting in two eliminations the following week.
  • ^Note 2 Due to the judges using their one save on Abrams, the Top 11 remained intact for another week.

Post-Idol

Abrams in concert

Abrams appeared and performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in April 2011, and Live with Regis and Kelly, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and MTV's The Seven in May of the same year. He was one of the performers in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2011, which began in West Valley City, Utah, in July 2011, and ended in Manila, Philippines in September 2011.[14]

In August 2011, Abrams became a spokesman in a national campaign called IBD Icons to raise awareness of inflammatory bowel disease.[15]

Abrams and former American Idol season 10 contestant Haley Reinhart recorded a holiday song, "Baby, It's Cold Outside", in November 2011[16]—also released on video.[17]

In January, 2012 Abrams signed with jazz label Concord Music Group.[18][19] His first album is self-titled, Casey Abrams. The album was executive produced by Randy Jackson and American Songwriter writes that "co-writers on the album include American Idol co-producer Iain Pirie and mega-hit songwriters Jason Mraz, Rune Westberg, Martin Terefe, and Toby Gad."[20] The first single from the album "Get Out" was released on June 5, 2012. The album was released June 26, 2012.[21] Performing on the show gave sales of his album a boost of nearly 2,000% over the previous week.[22]

Abrams appeared on several YouTube videos (e.g.,[23][24]) with Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox and toured with them in Europe.

In 2015, Abrams and the Gingerbread Band began work on his independently funded second album, an EP Tales from the Gingerbread House.[25] He has also added the album to PledgeMusic and offered pre-order incentives in order to help fund the album's release.[25] The EP contains five songs including "Cougartown", which contains background vocals by Haley Reinhart, and "Never Knew What Love Can Do", a duet with Reinhart.[25]

In 2018, Abrams recorded and released his second full-length album, Put a Spell on You, whose title track is a reprisal of his final performance on American Idol.[26][27] The album was recorded in just two days in Brooklyn's Hirsch Center. The album debuted at #5 on the Billboard Jazz Charts.[28]

In 2019, Abrams released Jazz, marking a full-fledged return to his jazz roots, featuring standards like "I've Got the World on a String" and "Girl from Ipanema".[29][30] Like Put a Spell on You, Jazz was also recorded at the Hirsch Center, with Abrams calling the decommissioned church's acoustics "magic."[29] The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard Jazz Charts.[28]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart position Sales
US[31] US Jazz[28]
Casey Abrams 101 — 27,000[32]
Put a Spell on You
  • Release date: March 16, 2018
  • Label: Chesky Records
  • Formats: CD, vinyl, digital download
 — 5 —
Jazz
  • Release date: May 31, 2019
  • Label: Chesky Records
  • Formats: CD, vinyl, digital download
 — 2 —

Extended plays

Title Details Peak chart position Sales Track listing
US
Tales From the Gingerbread House
  • Release date: January 29, 2016
  • Label: Independent
  • Format: CD, digital download
 — N/A
  1. Cougartown
  2. Just One More Time (These Eyes)
  3. Caught
  4. Never Knew What Love Can Do (featuring Haley Reinhart)
  5. Shining A Light
Uncovered
  • Release date: February 21, 2020
  • Label: Chesky Records
  • Format: digital download
 — N/A
  1. Smooth
  2. What a Wonderful World
  3. I Don't Need No Doctor
  4. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning

Live albums

Title Details Peak chart position Sales
US
Casey Abrams Live
  • Release date: August 18, 2017
  • Label: Independent
  • Format: digital download
 — N/A

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions Album
US
Adult		 Hot
AC		 US
Smooth
2012 "Get Out" 23 39 — Casey Abrams
"Simple Life" — — 9
2017 "Really Saying Something" — — — Non-album singles
"Cowbell" — — —
"Robot Lovers" – – – Put a Spell on You
2018 "Let's Make Out" – – –
2020 "Eve of Destruction"[33] - - - Non-album single

Collaborations

Year Title Peak chart position
Bubbling Under Hot
AC[34]
2011 "Baby, It's Cold Outside"
Haley Reinhart and Casey Abrams		 20 39
2018 "We Three Kings"
Alexander Jean feat. Casey Abrams		 – –

Videography

Music videos

Year Video
2011 "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (with Haley Reinhart)
2012 "Simple Life"
2013 "Get Out"
2013 "Stuck in London – Orchestra of People"
2015 "Great Bright Morning - Orchestra of People"
2016 "Never Knew What Love Can Do - Orchestra of People"
2016 "Shining A Light - Orchestra of People"

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Casey Abrams, Idol's Jazz Man". My Fox Memphis. March 8, 2011. Archived from the original on March 17, 2011. Retrieved March 13, 2011.
  2. 1 2 Colbert, Bruce (March 15, 2011). "American Idol' contestant Casey Abrams has Prescott ties". Daily Courier. Archived from the original on September 29, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  3. ↑ Smith, Marshall (February 25, 2011). "Casey Abrams makes the top 24 on American Idol". Idyllwild Town Crier. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Casey Abrams' 'American Idol' chutzpah | Culture | Jewish Journal". Archived from the original on July 1, 2011.
  5. ↑ Johnson, Steve (March 8, 2011). "College student jazzes up finals". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on May 27, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Casey Abrams, 'Idol' Finalists Performs Tonight". KPSP Local 2 News. March 9, 2011. Archived from the original on March 13, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  7. ↑ Ashcroft, Doug (February 18, 2011). "Casey and Julie". Idyllwild Arts Academy. Archived from the original on March 1, 2011. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
  8. ↑ "CU-Boulder's Casey Abrams is in the top 13 on American Idol". Daily Camera. March 4, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  9. ↑ "'Casey Abrams Confirms Illness". 95.5 WPLJ. March 17, 2011. Archived from the original on March 22, 2011. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
  10. ↑ "'American Idol's' Casey Abrams Had Two Blood Transfusions While Hospitalized". The Hollywood Reporter. March 10, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Casey Abrams Brings Strong Jazz, Time-Tested Influences to American Idol". International Business Times. March 5, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  12. ↑ Braxton, Greg (February 25, 2011). "Casey Abrams expected to perform at 'American Idol' taping". LA Times. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  13. ↑ Fox, Mark Davis. "American Idol: Season 10's top 13". USA Today. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
  14. ↑ ""American Idol" Judges Save Contestant; Fantasia to Perform on Next Results Show". Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
  15. ↑ Sweet, Laurel J. (September 1, 2011). "'Idol' contestant speaks out on illness". Bostonherald.com. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Haley & Casey's Holiday Duet "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Is Available NOW!". Haley Reinhart's Official Website. November 21, 2011. Archived from the original on April 25, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Haley & Casey's Holiday Duet "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Video Is Available Now on Yahoo!". Casey Abrams' Twitter. November 15, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  18. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Signed!". YouTube.
  19. ↑ "'American Idol' alum Casey Abrams' record deal". EW.com. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Casey Abrams of American Idol Readies Debut Album". American Songwriter. June 13, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  21. ↑ Sarah Lindstedt (June 16, 2012). "'American Idol's' Casey Abrams' Debut Album: Track-By-Track (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  22. ↑ 'Idol' performance puts Casey Abrams on the charts. usatoday.com. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
  23. ↑ All About That Bass - Postmodern Jukebox European Tour Version.
  24. ↑ Stacey's Mom - Vintage 1930s Hot Jazz Fountains of Wayne Coover ft. Casey Abrams.
  25. 1 2 3 "Hear 'American Idol' Alums Casey Abrams & Haley Reinhart Duet on 'Never Knew What Love Can Do'". Billboard. December 3, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  26. ↑ Angermiller, Michele Amabile (March 2, 2018). "Hear 'American Idol' Alum Casey Abrams Cover 'I Put a Spell on You' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  27. ↑ "Artist Q&A: Catching Up with American Idol's Casey Abrams". SoundExchange. February 7, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  28. 1 2 3 "Casey Abrams Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  29. 1 2 Zimmerman, Brian (June 18, 2019). "Former 'American Idol' Contestant Casey Abrams Returns to His Jazz Roots". JAZZIZ Magazine. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  30. ↑ "Jazz - Casey Abrams | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  31. ↑ Mansfield, Brian (July 4, 2012). "'Idol' albums: Carrie tops, Casey debuts". Idol Chatter. USA Today. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  32. ↑ Mansfield, Brian (March 27, 2013). "'Idol' performance puts Casey Abrams on the charts". Idol Chatter. USA Today. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
  33. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Eve of Destruction". YouTube.
  34. ↑ "'Mr. Know It All' goes No. 1 at Hot AC". Idolchatter. USAToday. December 12, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
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