Emilio Caceres

Inspired by jazz violinist Joe Venuti as well as his own family full of musicians, Emilio Caceres did much more than just fiddle about. He led an influential swing orchestra of his own out of San Antonio, Texas, in the '30s and '40s. He recorded with much less frequency than his brother Ernie Caceres, an in-demand saxophonist who toured and recorded with many top names in jazz. Yet the violinist Caceres did leave something of a legacy, as did yet another brother who was a professional musician, pianist and trumpeter Pinero Caceres. In the '30s the Emilio Caceres Trio was an active unit, the group featuring the violinist and saxophonist siblings in tandem with the fine guitarist Johnny Gomez. A highlight of the trio's career was a performance on the national Camel Caravan radio show hosted by Benny Goodman.

The instrumental blend between the brothers was highly praised at the time, including the provocative texture of violin combined with baritone sax. Musically some of these influences owed as much to norteño and Tex-Mex combo styles as they did jazz. A lively series of sides this group cut for Bluebird in the late '30s includes the titles "The Last Roundup," "Humoreske in Swing," and "Amor Y Misterios." This is music that appeals greatly to fans of jazz violin and hip instrumental music along the lines of Slim & Slam. "Under-recorded" is the most frequent adjective used in conjunction with the violinist's discography. The contrast with his brother can be easily displayed simply through numbers: while Emilio Caceres is only credited with performing on a pair of recording sessions between 1937 and 1969, Ernie Caceres shows up on nearly 500! The violinist's grandson David Caceres is an active saxophonist, based out of Houston. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi