Michael Cain

Michael Cain stands out as a pianist capable of blending seamlessly into an ECM recording date while displaying an intensity beyond what might be anticipated. His profile remains most closely tied to his long-running connection with Jack DeJohnette. Raised in Las Vegas, Cain took up the piano at age four; though his earliest training centered on classical repertoire, he maintained a strong pull toward improvisation from the start. He pursued studies in both jazz and classical music at North Texas State University, with additional work at USC and Cal Arts. During his time at the latter institution he appeared alongside Marlena Shaw, Gerald Wilson’s Orchestra, Billy Higgins, the New American Orchestra, and James Newton’s Quartet. Cain relocated to New York in 1990. There he soon collaborated with members of the M-Base collective, among them Greg Osby and Robin Eubanks, issued two albums under his own name on the Candid label, and entered Jack DeJohnette’s ensemble. Beyond his intermittent work and recordings with DeJohnette that have continued ever since, Cain has belonged to Anthony Cox’s Quartet and performed with Dave Holland, John Scofield, Steps Ahead, Gary Thomas, Marty Ehrlich, Ray Anderson, and Bobby Previte. He holds a teaching position at the Eastman School of Music, released a solo album on ECM in 1986, and received a commission to compose for Bill Clinton’s 1997 presidential inauguration gala.