Chris Cain was born in San Jose, California in 1955. His parents were huge music fans and shared their love of blues, jazz and popular songs with Chris. His African American father and Greek mother had a huge, shared record collection, which fascinated Chris from an early age. Chris was three years old when his father first took him to see B.B. King. His father gave him his first guitar at age eight and Chris learned lick after lick, song after song. Heโd listen to his fatherโs records over and over until the music had seeped into his soul.
Cain formed his first band in 1986, and, in hopes of getting more gigs, released his first album, Late Night City Blues, on the locally-based Blue RockโIt label. Almost immediately, everything changed. Booking agents came calling and Chris began touring Europe. The album received four W.C. Handy Award nominations (now the Blues Music Awards) and the offers to perform kept rolling in....
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Chris Cain was born in San Jose, California in 1955. His parents were huge music fans and shared their love of blues, jazz and popular songs with Chris. His African American father and Greek mother had a huge, shared record collection, which fascinated Chris from an early age. Chris was three years old when his father first took him to see B.B. King. His father gave him his first guitar at age eight and Chris learned lick after lick, song after song. Heโd listen to his fatherโs records over and over until the music had seeped into his soul.
Cain formed his first band in 1986, and, in hopes of getting more gigs, released his first album, Late Night City Blues, on the locally-based Blue RockโIt label. Almost immediately, everything changed. Booking agents came calling and Chris began touring Europe. The album received four W.C. Handy Award nominations (now the Blues Music Awards) and the offers to perform kept rolling in.
With his 2021 Alligator Records debut album, Raisinโ Cain, Cainโs star began to rise even higher. Press, radio and the public all agreed that Cain was, as Blues Rock Review stated, โa classic, sophisticated, soulful virtuosoโฆHe seamlessly combines blues, jazz, funk, and soul.โ Cain received four 2022 Blues Music Award nominations, including for Album Of The Year and Best Guitarist.
On his recordings and on stage, Cain plays his beloved Gibson ES 335 guitar named Melba that heโs had since 1990, and plugs it into his equally beloved Music Man RD 112 amp that heโs had since 1987. Melba, well known among Cainโs most ardent fans, is prominently featured in the new book, Gibson ES Believers, part of the Vic DuPra Believers Series.
Cain has toured all over North America and made repeated trips around the world. Heโs performed at the Chicago Blues Festival, The Doheny Blues Festival, The Philadelphia Blues Festival, The Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland, and many others. Heโs played concerts and festivals (and often taught workshops) in Argentina, Uruguay, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Ukraine, and more.
Now, with Good Intentions Gone Bad, Cain will find his largest audience yet, as his good musical intentions continue to pay off. According to Kid Andersen, thereโs no better blues player working today. โChris Cain is the rarity whose blues prowess is so undeniable that he has gained everyoneโs approval. Ask any of your favorite guitar players who they think are the greatest living masters of the instrument, chances are they will all have Chris Cain at the very top of their list.โ
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