Veteran rock and jazz drummer Ed Cassidy died December 6 in an assited living home following an extended battle with cancer. He was 89. Cassidy played with jazz greats Dexter Gordon and Chet Baker and later co-founded Spirit, the California progressive-rock band that charted with “I Got A Line On You,” “1984,” and “Mechanical World.” Spirit guitarist Randy California (1951-1997) was Cassidy’s step-son, and bassist Mark Andes later played with Firefall and Jo Jo Gunne.