One of the highest regarded blues players by his peers, Chris Cain is underappreciated by the general public. Fortunately, he has much respect in the Lake Tahoe area, where he has appeared at Squaw Valley’s weekly summertime event, Bluesdays, more than any other artist.
Cain appears tonight at the free Tuesday show in the Village at Squaw Valley from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Dennis Jones, who like Cain is a superb guitarist, singer and songwriter but not widely known by many non-blues lovers, remembers the first time he saw Cain.
“He was onstage playing and I just stopped everything and said, ‘Who is that?’ ” said Jones, who will make his Bluesdays debut on July 26. “I quickly noticed that he incorporated a lot of B.B. King, kind of like Mike Bloomfield took B.B., but he took it somewhere else but you can still hear the root of B.B. King in everything he does.
“He’s a great player. He’s the type of guy who will humble anybody. If you play next to him, you better be on your game. I truly respect him on the highest level. I think he should be known way more than he is now. He should be a household name just like Albert (King) and the rest of those guys. He’s magic, a true blues player.
Cain attended a B.B. King concert when he was just 3 years old. He studied jazz, which he taught at San Jose City College, and was a professional player before turning 18. His recording career began in 1987. He also plays piano, bass, clarinet and saxophone.
Cain’s singing voice has been compared to B.B. King’s and his musicianship on the guitar has been lauded by Robben Ford and Albert King.
- Bluesdays 2016
6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays in the Village at Squaw Valley, free
July 5 – Chris Cain
July 12 – Shawn Holt & the Teardrops
July 19 – J.C. Smith Band
July 26 – Dennis Jones Band
August 2 – David Jacobs Strain
August 9 – Lloyd Jones
August 16 – Joe Louis Walker
August 23 – James Armstrong
August 30 – Mark Hummel Band ft. Little Charlie Baty, & Anson Funderburgh
September 6 – Kenny Neal
