PineCone - Piedmont Council of Traditional Music

Raleigh's bluegrass jam has changed its location, day, time and leaders, but its format remains unchanged - it is still gather-round-the-circle style, and anyone from beginners to advanced players are welcome, and listeners, too!

Grammy-nominated Allen Toussaint, backed by an all-star jazz combo, performs selections from his vast catalog, along with tunes from his newest release, "The Bright Mississippi," which reinterprets some classic New Orleans jazz and blues standards.

This free concert, part of the Music of the Carolinas series, takes place on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010, at 3 p.m., and it features Teresa Fernandez and Ed Stephenson & the Paco Band. This program explores the cultures of Latin America and Spain.

Saturday, January 30 features singer-songwriters, virtuoso instrumentalists and a touch of world music tradition. Sunday, January 31 highlights some of the best in bluegrass, from the traditional to the contemporary.

Tickets go on sale on Dec. 7 for PineCone's Listening Room Series, featuring national and up-and-coming artists in an intimate venue. This year's lineup includes The Kruger Brothers, the Red Stick Ramblers, and The Claire Lynch Band.

As part of Raleigh's annual Artsplosure First Night celebration, PineCone will present a traditional music concert featuring the Piedmont music of Jeff Little, Wayne Henderson and Helen White. The trio will perform four sets beginning at 7 p.m.

PineCone teams up with the NC Museum of History to support the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina with the next free concert in the Music of the Carolinas series. The concert features the band Mappamundi on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 3 p.m.

Southern String Band will play a night of square dance music at Raleigh City Museum, with a band member calling the night's dances. The evening will feature simple square and round dances (not Western or contra). (Also note: please NO tap shoes!)

One of PineCone's original founders and the producer of "Going Down to Raleigh," an anthology of North Carolina stringband music, will give a presentation and short performance Friday, Nov. 20 at Raleigh's Quail Ridge Books & Music.

An exciting, versatile trio of award-winning musicians from Russia, these classically trained artists present a free Russian folklore concert on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. at the NC Museum of History as part of the Music of the Carolinas series.