PineCone and the North Carolina Museum of History present the
2010-2011 Music of the Carolinas series
These concerts are FREE and open to the public and take place at the North Carolina Museum of History's Daniels Auditorium. Schedule is subject to change without notice. Program notes are provided at each performance.

The Music of the Carolinas series invites people to discover and celebrate North Carolina's rich musical heritage by featuring the best home-grown North Carolina traditional artists, as well as by showcasing the musical and performance traditions of the various cultures that call North Carolina home today. Program notes are available at each concert in this series, and large-print versions are available as well.

Music of the Carolinas Concerts

John Dee Holeman & Andy Coats
Sunday, October 10
John Dee Holeman is a North Carolina treasure who has won National Heritage Fellowship (1988) and a NC Heritage Award (1994) over the years for his guitar playing and singing. His style on guitar combines the Piedmont Blues sound (which developed in Durham in the '30s and '40s) with touches of Texas blues and R&B. You've likely seen him playing outdoors at street festivals, at the Eno River, at the Bull Durham Blues Festival, or in clubs. He also performed as part of PineCone's first Summer Series at Sertoma as part of his 80th birthday celebration. He will be joined by Andy Coats, a Raleigh-based blues musician doing as much as he can to keep the blues alive. In addition to writing and recording a new batch of songs, Coats has begun delving more into the Piedmont blues and working out the styles of such titans as Blind Boy Fuller and the Rev. Gary Davis. "It’s an amazing technique," Coats says, "much like the style of piano players. In some ways, I feel like it’s already a part of me since I grew up here."
Learn more about John Dee Holeman
Learn more about Andy Coats

Magnolia Klezmer Band
Sunday, November 14
Based in the Triangle area of North Carolina, The Magnolia Klezmer Band performs Eastern European Jewish music from Romania, Moldava, Russia and the Ukraine blended with American traditional jazz and swing. And if you stop by the Museum early, you can explore the exhibit Down Home: Jewish Life in North Carolina, which chronicles how Jews have integrated into Tar Heel life by blending their own traditions into Southern culture while preserving their ethnic and religious traditions. Admission to the exhibit is also free. Learn more about The Magnolia Klezmer Band

Nixon, Blevins & Gage Christmas
Sunday, December 12
Canned food donations will be accepted at this concert for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.
Nixon, Blevins & Gage are an acoustic trio loosely based in bluegrass. Their music combines folk, traditional, religious and country music with selections ranging from modern songs adapted to their style to true-to-form preservations of older songs. They entertain audiences throughout North Carolina with the finger-picking, early country music popularized by Doc Watson and Merle Travis. They are some of the latest pioneers to emerge from the acoustic trio tradition as originated by Doc Watson and continued by such groups as the Kruger Brothers and Blue Country. They have released four CDs, including the popular “Picking on Christmas,” which was heralded in the News & Observer: “The juxtaposition of Nixon's finger-style playing with guitarist David Blevins' flat-picking results in an acoustic ambiance reminiscent of Doc Watson, Mississippi John Hurt and the late Etta Baker.” The band is Steven Gage on bass, David Blevins on guitar, PineCone Bluegrass Radio Show host Larry Nixon on guitar. Learn more about Nixon, Blevins & Gage

Sparky & Rhonda Rucker
Sunday, January 9
Sparky and Rhonda Rucker perform throughout the U.S. as well as overseas, singing songs and telling stories from the American folk tradition. Sparky Rucker has been performing for more than 40 years and is internationally recognized as a leading folklorist, musician, historian, storyteller, and author. He accompanies himself with fingerstyle picking and bottleneck blues guitar, banjo, and spoons. Rhonda Rucker is an accomplished harmonica, piano, banjo, and bones player, and she also adds vocal harmonies to their songs. Learn more about Sparky and Rhonda Rucker

Film - TBA
Sunday, February 13

Thistledown Tinkers
Sunday, March 13
Thistledown Tinkers, the powerful music duo featuring Trip Rogers and Tom Eure, weave traditional Scottish and Irish music with original creations while adding a southern swagger that sets the stage on fire. Their goal is to make Celtic music that forces folks to stand up and take notice, and maybe even sing along and stomp their feet. These seasoned music veterans from NC perform with an impressive arsenal of instruments including guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, dulcimer, and concertina. Their stage presence and seasoned musicianship creates a rabble-rousing party that not only draws fans in but makes them feel like a part of the show. Learn more about the Thistledown Tinkers

Film - TBA
Sunday, April 10

Film - TBA
Mother's Day - Sunday, May 8

TBA
Sunday, June 12