Ernie Caceres

[Dave James]

I just began listening to the Columbia Small Group Swing Sessions last night. At this point, I've made it through the first three Ruby Braff entries. This is great music, but the biggest surprise I've encountered thus far is the baritone sax work of Ernie Caceres. I'm only familiar with him (and to a very limited extent) as more of a trad oriented player, ususally with Jack Teagarden. His tone is really interesting...not light and airy like Gullin, or in your face like Chaloff or the gutteral approach of a Pepper Adams, but something else entirely. The material that also includes Coleman Hawkins and Caceres is first rate. He acquits himself very nicely as a swing player.

Just wondering if he ever did anything on his own or if he spent his career backing up others.

Up over and out.

[sidewinder]

I'm only familiar with him from his work on one of those Metronome All-Star sesions from the late 1940s. The rest of the band were boppers, so he was somewhat the odd man out. Fitted into the lineup very well though, I recall.

[jazzbo]

A wonderful player. Killer clarinet as well!

He and his brother Emilio did a wonderful album (short but very sweet) on I think Audiophile and G. H. Buck could and probably will but hasn't yet put this out on cd. But that's about it as a "leader" I guess.

I love his work with the Condonites. . . ah I just love his work period.

A friend/acquaintance of mine used to know him when he (the friend) was a child; his (the friend's) father was a piano player and band leader and he and Ernie and his brother knew each other well from being mainstays bands in the territory (the Caceres bros. were from San Antonio, Mel Winters Sr., my friend's dad, was an Austinite).

Edited April 25, 2005 by jazzbo

[Harold_Z]

After he left NYC and returned to Texas Ernie did an album on a small label with his brother. I think it was called "Ernie and Emilio Caceres".

Ernie did well in NYC. Recording and TV studio work during the day and jazz gigs at night. I remember he was in the studio band for the Arthur Godfrey show, which was on tv every weekday morning live for years when I was a kid.

The Ernie solo that always come to mind for me is on Bobby Hackett's Commodore recording of Hoagy Carmichael's "New Orleans". Ernie solo is doubletime to the rest of the record and swings from start to finish.

[frank m]

Ernie played for years with the Miller civilian band. Aside from his work with the condon mob, he was also a member of the famous but short=lived band that Bobby Hackett had at the Hudson Hotel in New York. I loved his work.

[thomastreichler]

Ernie Caceres IMHO is one of the few top baritone players, displaying a beautiful tone and logic and fluent lines when improvising. He can be heard on innumerable Condon sessions of the 40's. I particularly like him on "Jazz Ultimate" by Bobby Hackett / Jack Teagarden (Capitol, 1957). He plays fine on "Complete Live At the Voyager Room" by the Bobby Hackett-Bob Wilber Sextet (a Lonehill twofer) and is part of the All Star cast assembled as "Big 18" for the two RCA albums "Live Echoes Of The Swinging Bands" and "More Live Echoes Of The Swinging Bands", taking a few solos.

[JSngry]

[thomastreichler]

Ernie Caceres plays on all (or almost all) of Eddie Condon's Town Hall Concerts. His solos and ensemble work are uniformly excellent. Caceres is and was an unsung master of the instrument!

[Stereojack]

  Harold_Z said:

After he left NYC and returned to Texas Ernie did an album on a small label with his brother. I think it was called "Ernie and Emilio Caceres".

The Audiophile LP was a reunion of sorts. He and his brother recorded six sides for Bluebird as the Emilio Caceres Trio in 1937.

Great musician!

[jazzbo]

Hi Jack,

I didn't know about the Bluebird sides, thanks for mentioning them.

You're absolutely right, GREAT musicians.

[Brute]

Yes! Love that bari sound. Ernie is also featured on a session with Sidney Bechet from 1938. I'm not sure who originally released it but it's available on the Bechet Mosaic Select.

[Harold_Z]

  Brute said:

Yes! Love that bari sound. Ernie is also featured on a session with Sidney Bechet from 1938. I'm not sure who originally released it but it's available on the Bechet Mosaic Select.

Good session. I first encountered it on a Columbia lp entitled SIDNEY BECHET CL-836. I think the original 78s were on Vocalian.

[jeffcrom]

Something that hasn't been mentioned in this thread since 2005 is what a great clarinet player EC was. At the risk of sounding sacrilegious, I think I like his clarinet playing better than his baritone.

[carnivore]

Ernie Caceres was a great player and a true individualist on the baritone. Happily his mantle was picked up - for a long time at least, by the British player Johnny Barnes, a member of the Alex Welsh band. I don't know if Johnny is still playing but he's the closest I ever heard to Caceres.