Born in New York City in 1944 and classically trained, Cables was drawn to the freedom of expression in jazz. He worked briefly with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, toured with Sonny Rollins, and became an important figure in the Los Angeles and San Francisco scenes alongside Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, and Bobby Hutcherson.

In 1977, Dexter Gordon invited him into his quartet, deepening Cables’s passion for the acoustic piano. He became a longtime partner of saxophonist Art Pepper, who called him “Mr. Beautiful,” and appeared on Pepper’s final recording session, Goin’ Home.

At the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Cables brings decades of experience and a distinctive musical voice to the stage.