Michael Cain was born April 2, 1966, in Los Angeles, California. He moved to Las Vegas shortly afterward. At the age of 4, he began playing the piano and soon started composing and improvising. He began to study classical music the next year, but by the time he was ten, jazz had become his preferred genre. Michael attended several universities, starting at the University of North Texas. He was initially a jazz major but realized that classical music was taking up more of his time so he switched to that major. He moved to Los Angeles to continue his studies in classical piano at the University of Southern California. Finally, he ended up at the California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA. where he did both undergraduate work and graduate research. Michael earned a Bachelor’s Degree in jazz piano in 1988 and a Master’s Degree in fine arts in 1990. As a Cal Arts student and teacher assistant, he was particularly interested in non-western music, and began to study the music from India, Ghana, Bali, and Ghana. As a Cal Arts student, Michael started playing with Los Angeles-based musicians like Marlena Shaw and Bill Higgins. He also played with Gerald Wilson, a big band leader and composer, and the New American Orchestra. He began recording and touring with James Newton, and also recorded If Love (a CD featuring Anthony Cox and drummer Billy Hart). Michael moved to New York with several members of M-Base in 1990. He began performing with Robin Eubanks, Lonnie Plaxico, and Greg Osby. He recorded Strange Omen, his first CD as leader for Candid, the trio recording which features Glen Velez on hand drums and Bruce Saunders playing guitar. Michael joined Jack DeJohnette’s group Special Edition later that year. The group recorded Earthwalk for Blue Note, which won the Swing Journal “Album Of the Year” award in Japan. This was the beginning of a nine-year musical relationship with Jack. They collaborated on five albums and many tours in Europe, Africa and Israel as well as Brazil, Japan and Brazil. Dewey Redman played saxophone, and Billy Higgins was on drums. Michael began playing with the Anthony Cox Quartet in 1991. The group toured Europe and recorded two CDs for Island Records, Dark Metals and Factor of Faces. Ralph Peterson was also on the drums. Michael has performed with Mike Mainieri, Steps Ahead and is featured on their album Vibe for NYC Records. Over the years, Michael recorded and performed with many notable artists, including Dave Holland and Bobby McFerrin. Michael was an assistant professor at the Eastman School of Music’s Jazz and Contemporary Media Department from 1995 to 1997. He directed small ensembles, taught various subjects, including improvisation, contemporary composition techniques, pedagogy and history, analysis, and piano. Michael taught private piano lessons, directed ensembles and taught rhythm analysis classes at the New England Conservatory of Music from 1997 to 2008. Michael was the school’s Diversity coordinator from 1997 to 1998. This position focused on diversity at the university level. As part of Dr. Robert Freeman’s team, Michael worked closely with all division heads to help define the school’s diversity goals, create and implement structures that allow for dialogues to increase the inclusion of curriculums and represent the Conservatory at meetings with various human resource staff from several Boston-based companies and organizations. Michael created the “Digital Playground,” which is a music education program and recording studio at Hoboken Charter School, New Jersey. The program helps students in grades 3-12 learn music and allows them to record, produce, and distribute their own music. The collaborative trio “Oneness”, which also included Jack DeJohnette, Jerome Harris, was another example of their work. Michael released Circa for ECM in 1997, featuring Ralph Alessi as a trumpet player and Peter Epstein as a saxophonist. The Howard Hanson Memorial Institute for American Music commissioned him to compose a piece for President Clinton’s 1997 Inauguration. The piece, “Praeludium”, was first performed at the Eastman School on January 28, 1997 as part of the Kilbourn concert series. In 1997-98, Michael also worked with Ravi Coltrane as a saxophonist. This included performances at La Villa, Paris, BET Television and Town Hall in New York. One concert featured Alice Coltrane on the organ. He has also done a recent tour of the US and Canada with Me’Shell Ndege’Ocello. He co-wrote “Akel Dama”, a track for Cookie: the Anthropological Mixtape. It is also featured on “The Spirit Music Sextet Jamia” and the group’s album Dance of the Infidels. Other projects include a solo piano concert at Colorado University, Boulder, CO in spring 2001, as well as a residency at Colorado University, Boulder, CO in the fall 2001. He also served as the musical director at Crossroads’ New York premiere at Jose Limon Dance Company. This collaboration was between choreographer Donald McKayle and composer James Newton. Also, he composed the music for “Real With Me” and “Maybe,” both films by Carl Ford for Black Nexxus Films. Michael was a producer and drummer on Ron Blake’s 2007 recording Shariya. It featured Jack DeJohnette, Christian McBride, Regina Carter, and Gilmar Gomez playing percussion. Michael is an Associate Professor at Brandon University in Brandon Manitoba, Canada. From www.michaelcain.com
