Chris Cain''s newest album, Christmas Cain, opens with "Not in the Mood for Christmas." It''s good bar-room blues: soulful, smoky vocals, sensual keyboard and guitar work, and all the themes you want on a Jack Daniels night--lost love, memories, a bleak future and, of course, heavy drinking. In some ways, it''s comfort blues: nothing real surprising, just good solid music. What puts the song--and ultimately the whole album--over the top is the extra emotional edge that Cain gets by juxtaposing traditional blues with the holiday season. As we all know, the holidays seem to intensify every emotion, and Cain uses this to his advantage.

But don''t rush out to the store to pick up a copy of Christmas Cain. Although he''s selling it at a couple locations in Santa Cruz ans San Jose, you''ll only be able to find it locally through Cain''s Web site: www.ChrisCain.BluesGuitar.com. Or, even better, you can pick up a free copy of the album when he does a show at Sly McFly''s this Thursday.

Cain''s doing his Christmas tour as a benefit for various charities. Here, locally, the proceeds will go to the Victory Temple in Seaside, and if you bring a donation to the concert, they''ll hand you a free copy of the seven-song CD.

Chris Cain, Thursday, 8pm. Sly McFlys, 649-8050.

New Grass

It seems like just yesterday that Peter Rowan played Morgan''s. But that''s just my mind messing with me. It''s actually been...oh...three months since Rowan showed up with the Czech bluegrass band Druha Trava.

For those of you who''ve not been paying attention, Rowan is an outstanding acoustic musician whose music spans the range between bluegrass and rock. Although Rowan has never been one of those mega-star type musicians, he''s been an in-demand musician for the better part of 50 years. He''s got god-only-knows-how-many albums to his credit, and he''s probably best known for his work with the New Riders of the Purple Sage ("Panama Red"), Flaco Jimenez ("Free Mexican Airforce") and as part of the band Old and In The Way with David Grisman and Jerry Garcia (the band''s eponymous recording is the best-selling bluegrass album of all time).

Should be another excellent show.

Peter Rowan, Friday, 8pm. Morgan''s Coffee & Tea, 642-4949.

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