Chris Cain - Unscheduled Flight (1997)

Chris Cain's crisp lead guitar and gravelly vocals have brought him international recognition. Influenced by B.B. and Albert King as well as various jazz players, Cain has cooked up a jumping sound in the San Francisco Bay Area. A native of San Jose, Cain began playing California blues clubs in the mid-'80s, most notable the JJ's Cafe and JJ's Lounge South Bay circuit. Soon, his following was large enough to earn him a contract with an independent record label, Blue Rock'it. Cain's debut album, Late Night City Blues, was released in 1987. By this time, his backing band featured lead tenor saxophonist Noel Catura, bassist Ron Torbensen, saxophonist Mark Whitney, and drummer Robert Higgins. The album received good reviews, which led to national bookings for Cain and his band, as well as several European dates. In 1988, Cain and his band received a handful of W.C. Handy Award nominations, including Blues Band of the Year and Guitarist of the Year. Cain signed to Blind Pig in 1990, releasing his second album, Cuttin' Loose, the same year. The guitarist stayed at Blind Pig for the next few years, releasing Can't Buy a Break in 1992 and Somewhere Along the Way in 1995. Cain and his band remained a popular concert attraction throughout the '90s and stayed strong in the 2000s. During that decade, he released three albums on Blue Rock'It: 2001's Cain Does King, 2003's Hall of Shame, and 2010's So Many Miles. Cain went independent for 2015's B.B. King tribute King of the Blues, which he followed in 2017 with an eponymous record. That year, he also teamed up with Nasta Super for Romaphonic Session.