Chris Cain

Born in San Jose, California in 1955, Chris Cain develops early a guitar-driven style anchored in American electric blues, nourished by jazz, rhythm and blues, soul and funk. A guitarist, singer and songwriter, he begins performing as a teenager in clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area, then studies music at San Jose City College, where he also teaches jazz improvisation. Chris Cain forms The Chris Cain Band and releases Late Night City Blues in 1987, his first album that establishes him on the blues circuit in the United States as well as in Europe. His discography includes Cuttin’ Loose (1990), Can’t Buy a Break (1992), Somewhere Along the Way (1995), Unscheduled Flight (1997), Cain Does King (2001), Hall of Shame (2003), So Many Miles (2010), Chris Cain (2017), Raisin’ Cain (2021) and Good Intentions Gone Bad (2024). His style rests on a supple and dense guitar phrasing, lines marked by the heritage of B.B. King and Albert King, and a harmonic approach that leaves a clear space for jazz colors. Present on festival and club stages in North America and internationally, Chris Cain is part of a tradition of urban blues played with precision, not limited to a strictly revivalist register.