The eclectic creativity of Cain’s music owes something to his mixed background. Part Greek, part African-American, he was imbued with a love of the blues by his father who grew up on Beale St. in Memphis. Thus inspired, Cain took up the guitar at the age of eight. Studying at San Jose City College, he developed his precocious talent absorbing different techniques and influences as a multi-instrumentalist, playing piano, bass guitar, clarinet, alto and tenor saxophones. However, it is the guitar on which Cain has fused jazz and blues to create his own distinctive style. He made a remarkable debut in 1987 with Late Night City Blues which attracted several W.C. Handy award nominations. He developed his fusion style over several albums though the 90s with Blind Pig Records, not only playing his unusual brand of blues/jazz guitar but also triumphing as a successful songwriter and vocalist. The vocals carry a distinct echo of B.B. King, one of Cain’s early influences. Unscheduled Flight boasts 14 original compositions with one cover version.

Although Cain’s music had been already featured in movie soundtracks, in 1997 his career took a courageous departure when he collaborated with Michael Butler on an original musical score for a new theatre show, Thunder Knocking On The Door: A Bluesical Tale Of Rhythm And The Blues, with a libretto by Keith Glover. The show was originally staged at the San Jose Repertory Theatre and won critical acclaim. It transferred to A Contemporary Theatre in Seattle where it continued to play to packed audiences. The show’s cult status was in large part due to Cain’s contribution. The resulting live album was conceived as a ‘warts and all’ record of the performance although, in fact, the extraordinary songs and dynamic and sensitive underscoring are very well-served by the raw treatment. Cain attributes his success to one single quality: ‘If I keep my ears open and listen, magic stuff always happen’.