Caceres, Emilio (1897–1980)

Emilio Caceres, jazz violinist, was born in Corpus Christi on September 24, 1897. He was the elder brother of Ernesto Caceres, who was born in Rockport, Texas. Little biographical information on Emilio is available, except with reference to his more famous brother. But it was through Emilio's Trio that the two brothers first gained national attention when they appeared on the Benny Goodman Camel Caravan radio show in 1937. Prior to this date, the trio, which included Emilio on violin, Ernesto on clarinet and baritone sax, and a cousin, Johnny Gomez, on guitar, had performed "some of the hottest music around San Antonio."

After appearing on the Goodman show, the trio recorded, in the words of critic Gunther Schuller, "six splendid small group sides" that were "astonishing" for how "the violin and clarinet blended and, even more surprisingly, how Ernie's gutty, burly baritone functioned so successfully with the violin." In 1969, after returning to San Antonio, Emilio and Ernesto recorded a final album, entitled simply Ernie and Emilio Caceres. Emilio Caceres died on February 10, 1980, in San Antonio. Two grandsons, David and Anthony Caceres, were musicians in Houston and carried on their grandfather's musical legacy in the 2010s.