Eddie Caine

Eddie Caine, real name, Edwin Caine, (1924—August 19, 2016) was an American jazz musician who played baritone and alto saxophone, flute, and piccolo. He also composed classical music. In a career spanning 75 years, he performed and recorded in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, and worked with many famed musicians such as Charles Mingus, Muggsy Spanier, Jimmy Raney, and Miles Davis.

Eddie Caine began his professional music career during his high school years, playing in the band of Henry Nemo. After Caine joined Local 802, he played in Nemo's band at Grossinger's Catskill Resort Hotel in the Catskill Mountains near the village of Liberty, New York.

In 1945, Caine joined trumpeter Randy Brooks's Orchestra and recorded "I'm Gonna Love That Guy" (written by Ted Heath as Frances Ash) and "No More Toujours L'Amour (Hoya, Hoya)" (written by Hoagy Carmichael and Paul Francis Webster). With vocals by Marion Hutton, he played alto saxophone (uncredited) alongside Paul Lajoie (bass); Bill Usher, and Paul Bridgeford (drums); Shorty Allen (piano, vibraphone); Stuart Anderson, and Willie Baker (tenor saxophone); and Ernie Englund (trumpet). Caine's first credited recording with Randy Brooks was Earle Hagen's composition of "Harlem Nocturne" (1946).

Also in 1946, his sax was heard on Herbie Fields And His Orchestra's recordings of "A Huggin' And A Chalkin'" (written by Clancy Hayes and Kermit Goell) and "Blue Fields" (RCA Victor Records 20-2036).

In 1947, Caine recorded "Nellie's Nightmare" with Buddy Rich And His Band, playing alto saxophone alongside Harvey Lavine (baritone saxophone); Tubby Phillips (bass); Gene Dell (guitar); Harvey Leonard (piano); Allan Eager and Mickey Rich (tenor saxophone); Bob Ascher, "Chunky" Koenigsberg, and Mario Daone (trombone); and Bill Howell, Phil Gilbert, Stan Fishelson, and Tommy Allison (trumpet). On the A side of the disc was "Troubador" by Claude Thornhill And His Orchestra.

Over the following years, Caine played with the big bands of Muggsy Spanier (Muggsy Spanier, 1967); Jervis Wald (1955); Tony Pastor; Chico Marx; Lucky Millinder; Jimmy Dorsey; and Charles Mingus (Miss Bliss, 1953).

In 1949-1952, Caine played alto saxophone on tracks 9, 10, and 11 of Buddy DeFranco's compilation album 1949-1952 with Tommy Mace (alto saxophone); Danny Bank (baritone saxophone); Leonard DeFranco (bass); Morey Feld (drums); Jimmy Raney (guitar); Jimmy Lyon (piano); Jerry Sanfino and Stan Kosow (tenor saxophone); Billy Byers, Fred Zito, and George Arus (trombone); Al Porcino and Bernie Glow (trumpet).

In the 1950s and 1960s, he recorded with Ralph Burns; Tito Puente; Johnny Mandel; Lena Horne; Bob Brookmeyer, Gerry Mulligan (The Concert Jazz Band,1963); Carmen McRae; Buddy Bregman; and Stan Getz (Big Band Bossa Nova,1962, conducted by Gary McFarland).

Caine played flute and piccolo on Miles Davis' albums Miles Ahead (1957) and Sketches of Spain (1960).

In 1959, Caine played woodwind on the album Great Jazz Standards by The Gil Evans Orchestra Featuring Johnny Coles. The same year, he played reeds on Irene Kral's album SteveIreneO! (conducted by Al Cohn).

In addition to jazz, Caine worked in classical music and was a member of Ray Beckenstein's band New York Saxophone Quartet with Al Epstein and Danny Bank. He was a classical flutist in the National Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, and also played flute in Broadway shows in New York. He co-produced an album with teaching material from Harold Bennett, the principal flutist for the Metropolitan Opera orchestra.

In 1955, Caine played flute on George Handy's The Caine Flute Sonata. In 1984, he played flute on a recording in California with pianist Neil Posner.

Caine died on August 19, 2016, at age 92.

• Benjamin Biermann: The Music of George Handy (Dissertation, City University New York, 2006)
• Tom Lord: The Jazz Discography