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Michael Cain | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 2, 1966 Los Angeles, California |
| Genres | Classical, jazz, pop |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Piano |
Michael Cain (born April 2, 1966) is a pianist and composer. [1]
Cain attended several universities starting with the University of North Texas. Although initially a jazz major, he found that classical music was occupying more of his time and switched to that major. From there he moved to Los Angeles and continued to study classical piano at the University of Southern California, and finally ended up at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, CA., where he did both undergraduate and graduate work. Cain received a Bachelor's degree in jazz piano in 1988, and a Master's degree in fine arts in 1990.
Cain moved to New York in 1990 and began performing with many members of M-Base, a Brooklyn-based collective of musicians, initially with Greg Osby and later with Robin Eubanks and Lonnie Plaxico among others. That same year he recorded his first CD as a leader, Strange Omen, for the Candid label, a trio recording that features Glen Velez on hand percussion and Bruce Saunders on guitar. Later that year Cain started playing with Jack DeJohnette and joined his group Special Edition.
In 1991, Cain also began playing with the Anthony Cox quartet which featured Dewey Redman on saxophone and Billy Higgins on drums. That group did several European tours and recorded the albums Dark Metals (Antilles Records), and Factor of Faces (Minor Music), which also featured Ralph Peterson on drums.
From 1995 to 1997, Cain was an assistant professor in the Jazz and Contemporary Media Department at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York State.
In 1997, Cain joined the faculty at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston where he directed several ensembles, taught classes on rhythm analysis, and taught private piano. During the 1997-98 school year Cain served as the school's Diversity Coordinator, an administrative position that focused on issues of diversity in all its implications at the university level. From 1999 to the present, Cain has been the director of the "Digital Playground", a music education and recording program at the Hoboken Charter School in Hoboken, New Jersey. [2] This program teaches music to students from grades 3-12 by helping enable them to create, record, and distribute their own music. [3]
Cain was musical director for the Jose Limón Dance Company's New York premiere of Crossroads (2001), a collaboration between composer James Newton and choreographer Donald McKayle. [4]
During his professional career as a pianist, he has played with and for musicians such as Ravi Coltrane, Billy Higgins, Marlena Shaw, Gerald Wilson, James Newton, Billy Hart, Anthony Cox, Greg Osby, Robin Eubanks, Lonnie Plaxico, Jack DeJohnette, Ralph Peterson, Dave Holland, Bobby McFerrin, Meshell Ndegeocello, Carlos Ward, Ray Anderson, Charles Neville, Hassan Hakmoun, Oliver Lake, Reggie Workman, Mýa, Kip Hanrahan, Noreaga, Cindy Blackman, Joshua Redman, Victor Bailey, Bobby Previte, Frank Lacy, Bennie Maupin, Pheeroan Aklaff, Eric Person, Gary Thomas, Vernon Reid, Marty Ehrlich, Gene Jackson, James Genus, Steve Swallow, Andrew Cyrille, Steve Coleman, John Scofield, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Stanley Turrentine, Don Alias, and many others.
In 2008, Cain joined the Faculty of Music at Brandon University in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, where he leads several ensembles, and teaches jazz curriculum and piano.
The 2015 album Sola was well reviewed. JazzdaGama said "Michael Cain feels music passionately and colourfully and the expert musicianship and loving care that he puts into his work is obvious." [5] The Huffington Post 's review noted that "...Cain’s most recent work has had a distinctively electronic bent to it with colors and textures that seem to borrow from elements of jazz, hip hop and Electronic Dance Music." [6]
Cain's most recent release is Hoo Doo, featuring Cain – keyboards, Eric Platz and Angelo Stokes – drums, Scott Brown and Matthew Fricke – guitar, Aren Teerhuis – saxophone, Stormy Allen – trombone and Tondrae Kemp – vocals
| Year recorded | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Strange Omen | Candid | Trio, with Bruce Saunders (guitar), Glen Velez (percussion) |
| 1991 | What Means This? | Candid | Quartet, with Anthony Cox (bass), Marvin "Smitty" Smith (drums), Paul Hannah (percussion) |
| 1994 | Evidence of Things Unseen | MA | Solo piano |
| 1996 | Circa | ECM | Trio, with Ralph Alessi (trumpet, flugelhorn), Peter Epstein (soprano sax, tenor sax) |
| 2000 | Pfhew | MA | Trio, with Ralph Alessi (trumpet, flugelhorn), Peter Epstein (soprano sax, tenor sax) |
| Brooklyn Waters | Telepathy | Duo, co-led with Pheeroan akLaff (drums, percussion) | |
| 2008? | The Green Eyed Keeper | Native Drum Music | |
| Indira | Muzak/ENJA | ||
| 2011 | Solo | Native Drum Music | Solo piano, synthesizer, electronics |
| 2015 | Sola | Native Drum Music | Keys/programming |
| 2018 | Hoo Doo | Native Drum Music | Keys |
With Ravi Coltrane
With Jack DeJohnette
With Robin Eubanks
With Gary Thomas
With Gerald Wilson
Kevin Tyrone Eubanks is an American jazz and fusion guitarist and composer. He was the leader of The Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led the Primetime Band on the short-lived The Jay Leno Show.
Jack DeJohnette is an American jazz drummer, pianist, and composer.
Ravi Coltrane is an American jazz saxophonist. Co-owner of the record label RKM Music, he has produced pianist Luis Perdomo, guitarist David Gilmore, and trumpeter Ralph Alessi.
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Steve Kuhn is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and educator.
George Colligan is an American jazz pianist, organist, drummer, trumpeter, educator, composer, and bandleader.
David Gilmore is an American jazz guitarist.
Lonnie Plaxico is an American jazz double bassist.
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Ralph Alessi is an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and ECM recording artist. Alessi is known as a virtuosic performer whose critically-acclaimed projects include his Baida Quartet, with Jason Moran, Drew Gress, and Nasheet Waits, and This Against That, his quintet with Andy Milne, Gress, Mark Ferber, and Ravi Coltrane. Alessi has also recorded and performed with artists including Steve Coleman, Uri Caine, Fred Hersch, and Don Byron.
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Irresistible Forces is an album by Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition, with Greg Osby, Gary Thomas, Mick Goodrick, Lonnie Plaxico and Naná Vasconcelos. It was recorded in 1987 and released on the MCA label.
Earthwalk is an album by drummer Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition, featuring alto saxophonist Greg Osby, tenor saxophonist Gary Thomas, pianist Michael Cain and bassist Lonnie Plaxico, recorded in 1991 and released on the Blue Note label.
Music for the Fifth World is an album by Jack DeJohnette, featuring performances with Will Calhoun, Michael Cain, Vernon Reid, Lonnie Plaxico and John Scofield plus vocalists, recorded in 1992 and released on the Manhattan label in 1993.
Anthony Cox is an American jazz bass player. He is known for his work with several leading musicians including Geri Allen, Dewey Redman, Dave Douglas, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Gary Thomas, Marty Ehrlich, Ed Blackwell, Joe Lovano, and Dave King.
Season of Renewal is the third album by saxophonist Greg Osby recorded in 1989 and released on the JMT label.
Karma is the third album by trombonist Robin Eubanks. It was recorded in 1991 and released on the JMT label.
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