CD Cain

This is a wonderful, big-voiced, contemporary West Coast bluesman and superb guitar player. There are several horns in the band, giving it a great, huge sound. Even better things will be coming.

Chris Cain has a worldwide reputation as one of the truly great blues guitarists of his generation, touring and releasing critically acclaimed albums for over 30 years. The 2018 winner of the Blues Music Award for Best Instrumentalist Guitar, he's an intense, jazz-infused player who adds gruff, commanding vocals and a sharp songwriting wit. The twelve original Cain compositions that make up 'Raisin' Cain' are a head-spinning showcase of raucous blues, horn-driven romps and moody, after-hours laments bursting with skillful songwriting, deep, expressive singing and sparkling, amazingly inventive guitar playing.

Johnny Winter begins Raisin' Cain, his ninth studio album since signing to CBS Records in 1969 (his records are now issued on the Blue Sky subsidiary), with "The Crawl," a rock & roll dance tune, and he ends it with "Walkin' Slowly," which employs a Fats Domino-style New Orleans rhythm and the saxophone work of Tom Strohman. The two songs serve to reinforce Winter's allegiance to his roots in ‘50s rock, which define him as much as his blues work. In between these bookends, he presents his usual mixture of familiar cover songs and specially written (by others, that is) material, all of which serves, as usual, to showcase his fast-fingered lead guitar playing. His slide guitar dominates "Sittin' in the Jail House," for example, while much of the disc's second side is played in a Chicago blues style that recalls his recent efforts as producer to give Muddy Waters a late-career renaissance, notably the side-opening performance of Waters' "Rollin' and Tumblin'." A notable inclusion is a cover of Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone".

Tané Cain's self-titled debut album is a perfect example of a release that should have been a big hit, but for whatever reason, did very little commercially. Cain has an impressive voice, and the material – most of it sleek, commercial pop/rock that was co-produced and co-written by Jonathan Cain and has a Pat Benatar-ish quality – is generally excellent. Though Cain denied sounding anything like Benatar, the fact is that she is somewhat Benatar-ish on melodic jewels such as "Crazy Eyes," "Vertigo," and the haunting "My Time to Fly." Nonetheless, Cain is her own person, and she has a smoother, more restrained approach than Benatar – you won't find anything as gritty, metallic, and guitar-crunching as "Hell Is for Children" or "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" on this vinyl LP. Regrettably, Tané Cain went out of print after the singer was dropped by RCA and is unlikely to ever be reissued on CD, but the LP is well worth obtaining if you're able to find a copy.

With Lovesick, Jackie Cain and Roy Kral produced an album that had every bit as much optimism and flower-powered innocence as did any album coming out of San Francisco in the summer of love. But this is decidedly not folk-rock or rock music – it's vocal jazz of the highest degree. It is high-spirited, sexy, life-affirming, sometimes silly, but always wonderful. Jackie Cain proves what a fine singer she is, and Roy Kral shows what a fine pianist he is. Their vocal harmonies are every bit as irresistible as those of Simon & Garfunkel, with the added ingredients of swing and scat thrown in. The duo and their rhythm section truly sound like they are having "A Big Beautiful Ball".

This record doesn't get enough credit. The tunes are great and the playing is tight. Cain's guitar playing is top-notch and will have you shaking your head over and over again. Lizz Fischer's keyboard's are smooth as are the drums and bass. This is a lesser known band and this record is a little hard to come by, but well worth the effort!
The eclectic creativity of Cain’s music owes something to his mixed background. Part Greek, part African-American, he was imbued with a love of the blues by his father who grew up on Beale St. in Memphis. Thus inspired, Cain took up the guitar at the age of eight. Studying at San Jose City College, he developed his precocious talent absorbing different techniques and influences as a multi-instrumentalist, playing piano, bass guitar, clarinet, alto and tenor saxophones…

Michael Cain, Ralph Alessi, Peter Epstein - Circa (1997) {ECM 1622}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 217 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 127 Mb
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© 1997 ECM Records | ECM 1622
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Post Bop / Piano / Trumpet / Saxophone

Pianist Michael Cain teams up with trumpeter Ralph Alessi and soprano saxophonist Peter Epstein for some unusual trio performances on this ECM CD. The 11 group originals (by Cain and/or Alessi) alternate complex written-out sections with fairly free group improvising. Epstein's soprano and Alessi's trumpet blend together almost as if they were one person playing two horns simultaneously, while Cain's rumbling keeps the music from ever getting too tonal or comfortable. Ranging from what sounds like chamber music (it is often difficult to determine when the musicians are improvising) to stretched-out long tones and heated sections, this episodic and continually intriguing music is never predictable and rewards repeated listenings.