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Kasim Sulton has been a considerable influence on the New York music scene for over 20 years.
Kasim began his career playing keyboards for Cherry Vanilla before playing bass in Utopia for a decade. He has since played on stage with artists as diverse as Meat Loaf, Todd Rundgren, Joan Jett, Hall and Oates, Richie Sambora, Mick Jagger and Jon Bon Jovi. He has also played and / or sung on over 100 albums (see the Kasim Sulton Discography).
Chiefly known as a player of both the bass and keyboards, and a fine vocalist, he is also a gifted songwriter (having written Utopia’s only top thirty hit, Set Me Free, which reached #28 in the charts in 1980).
Kasim started the year 2000 performing on the highly acclaimed Meat Loaf StoryTellers tour playing bass as well as coping with the demands of being the Musical Director.
Kasim then produced demo CDs for both Patti Russo and Elaine Fiddler's band, as well as working on his new solo album (which will be released in 2001).
Having completed the hugely popular Power Trio tour with Todd Rundgren in August 2001 (playing in 40 concerts all around America), Kasim then delighted his fans by concentrating on his own solo career! His successful 2001 Solo Acoustic Tour lasted from 7th April until 24th August 2001 during which he played 16 gigs in US and performed some of his new songs.
Kasim then played 47 concerts in front of over half a million people in Europe with Meat Loaf on the Night Of The Proms Tour from October until December 2001.
1st February 2002 saw Kasim embarking on his second solo tour in recent years. Aptly called his "Have Guitar, Will Travel Tour", Kasim played 19 gigs in 12 US states over 44 days ending on 16th March in New York City!
During Summer 2002 Kasim toured on the Meat Loaf Summer Tour in US and Europe where he played a short solo acoustic to open the concert at most venues. Kasim also played several gigs as part of Tommy James and The Shondells.
On 4th September 2002, much to his fans' delight, Kasim's album Quid Pro Quo was released on Sphere Sound Records. It contained ten tracks (plus one "hidden" one), all but 2 were either written or co-written by Kasim, plus he played all but two of the instruments on the album.
During the remainder of 2002, Kasim played a few solo gigs and made some personal appearances at Borders stores to promote Quid Pro Quo, as well as playing on Meat Loaf's Winter Tour where Kasim also played a three song opening set at most of the concerts.
At the expense of his own solo career, Kasim Sulton spent the majority of 2003 and the first three months of 2004 involved in the promotion and touring for the new Meat Loaf album "Couldn't Have Said It Better". Band rehearsals and promotion in Europe took up most of the first six months of the year with the World tour starting in Plymouth, England in July. Most of the Summer was spent touring the US (with two concerts in Mexico) and the European tour started on 25th October in Halle, Germany. Due to several bouts of illness by Meat Loaf, the remainder of that leg of the European tour was completed in January 2004. During February and March 2004, Kasim continued Meat Loaf's tour in Australia and New Zealand. Kasim played a short opening set at a lot of the concerts (in front of an estimated audience of over 600,000 fans).
Other than one solo gig on Staten Island in February 2004 and playing at Summerfest in Milwaukee in June, unfortunately Kasim's solo career had to take a back seat in 2005 as he toured extensively in the U.S., plus concerts in Holland, England, Scotland and Japan with Todd Rundgren in support of Todd's album called "Liars" from March until October.
In October Kasim started making occasional appearances in the Twyla Tharp choreographed musical based on Billy Joel music called Movin' Out on Broadway. Kasim also started taking time out to concentrate on writing songs for his next album which hopefully will be released in late 2005.
In January and February 2005 Kasim played an 8 date US mini-tour as part of Patty Smyth and Scandal (including Boston, New York and Cleveland) which came about due to Kasim being asked to stand in on the VH-1 show Bands Reunited the previous August. During the Summer Kasim played a tour of Europe, the United Kingdom and the US with Meat Loaf before spending the rest of the year in the main making appearances in Movin' Out again.
2006 was put aside for Kasim to play as part of The New Cars. However a tour which was schedueled to continue until the middle of July was cut short in June when Elliot Easton was injured. It's hoped that the tour will resume in September so meanwhile with spare time on his hands, Kasim will be playing a series of solo gigs.
 Photo by Ron Hromoko
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