The Taj Mahal Trio will close out PineCone’s 2011-12 Down Home Concert Series in Raleigh on February 18th! For more than 40 years, Taj Mahal has been playing and exploring music from around the world. The composer, multi-instrumentalist, and two-time Grammy winner is one of the most prominent and influential figures in late 20th century blues and roots music.

With 50 albums to his credit, Taj’s repertoire spans nearly a generation of music history, and his musical range has included American blues and music representing virtually every corner of the world. Taj has been a major supporter of Music Maker, performing and recording with Music Maker artists and offering his help whenever he can.

PineCone is honored to present the Taj Mahal Trio. Make plans now to hear this legendary blues musician right here in Raleigh! More details at pinecone.org.

MMRF Artist Dr. Burt was interviewed for the BBC News and it appeared online this week! Learn more about Dr. Burt’s life, his involvement with the civil rights movement, and his career since meeting Music Maker. Dr. Burt also explains why the “rough side, not the slick side of the mountain” is actually the best one in life.

To watch the piece, click here!

Ironing Board Sam will join the lineup for the 11th Annual African American Cultural Celebration at the North Carolina Museum of History on Saturday, January 28th. Sam will play from 2:30pm - 3pm on the Staircase Stage as part of the “Celebrate Music and Movement” segment.

The festival itself will go from 11am - 4pm, and will feature over 75 presenters - well-known musicians, award-winning authors, storytellers, dancers, playwrights, re-enactors and others - who will highlight the contributions of African Americans to North Carolina. The event is free to the public so be sure to stop by and see Sam’s show!

For more info, click here.

Music Maker Founder Denise Duffy will be on Blues Cruise #18 - if you’ll be on the boat, she would love to see you and say hi!

Calling All Blues Societies! Will you be cruising? Denise wants to sit down and talk with you about bringing more live Blues to your area! We would love to set up a time for you and Denise to get together on the cruise - contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to chat about Denise’s schedule!

MMRF Next Generation Artist Lakota John Locklear will be at the N.C. Museum of History on January 8th for PineCone’s Music of the Carolinas Series. Fourteen-year-old Lakota John is a Lumbee/Lakota Native American musician blending traditional styles of the Delta and Piedmont acoustic blues with bottle-neck slide guitar and a mix of Chicago electric blues. Locklear’s unique sound is also sprinkled with a bit of harmonica and influences from his indigenous heritage, including sounds of the Native American flute.

Since 1998, PineCone and the North Carolina Museum of History have partnered to present The Music of the Carolinas Series - a series of nine FREE concerts featuring some of the state’s finest folk musicians and tradition bearers. Lakota John will perform in Daniels Auditorium at 3pm on Sunday, January 8th. More info available at pinecone.org.

Thank you to all of you who sent well-wishes when we last mentioned he was unwell. Haskell Thompson a.k.a. Whistlin’ Britches passed away early last week succumbing to throat cancer.  Services have yet to be announced.

Haskel Thompson was born in Winston-Salem, NC in 1932, and lived there until his passing. His friend and fellow Music Maker, Captain Luke gave him the name, Whistlin Britches, years ago. Known for his unique rhythmic clicking, joke telling and general merriment, Whistlin’ was a beacon of laughter and joy wherever he went. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

Starting in January, Ironing Board Sam will be playing every second Friday of the month at The Depot in Hillsborough, N.C.! Sam has come a long way since he started his partnership with Music Maker last year. We work with Partner Artists to elevate their careers, with the hope that they will be able to earn a living wage through our efforts, with the help of supporters like you. This year Music Maker has assisted Sam with not only emergency needs and housing, but also in developing a career that will give him an income. This steady gig will pay at least half Sam’s rent each month, and Sam is also looking forward to playing festivals around the country in the coming months, in addition to the Blues Cruise in October 2012.

“Sing It Louder” is MMRF Next Generation Artist Cary Morin’s first release on the MMRF label. It features pared-down acoustic Native Americana blues, and highlights Morin’s deft fingerstyle guitar talents and distinctive songwriting style.

Buy Sing It Louder HERE!

Get Cool John Ferguson’s instrumental holiday album, Cool Yule, as part of a special $25 Holiday Membership! Cool Yule has a universal appeal that stretches beyond the borders of Christmas. It is an instrumental masterwork performed and arranged by one of the world’s finest musicians. Performing on drums, bass, and up to three guitars, Cool John creates a post-modern Holiday Music classic. This CD captures all the emotions of Christmas. Rejoice in the poetic lyricism by one of our all-time masters of music.

Your membership will support Music Maker in preserving American Roots music and sustaining elderly musicians, and in addition you’ll get this wonderful recording which transcends the holiday season and can be played all year round. Get it today!

The power of Elder James and Mother Pauline’s vocals rising together against the tension of Elder James’ guitar style, rooted in an ancient West African Lyre style, drew Corinne and I to this recording of “Old Time Religion” by the Gospel couple from Ridgeway, South Carolina. The story behind the song: Tim was driving through Ridgeway when he stopped at a store to ask about local talent and was introduced to Mother Pauline and Elder James Goins. Within thirty minutes, Tim was recording them in their home. Before passing away, Pauline and Elder James performed at the prestigious Lincoln Center in New York City. 
We hope you enjoy “Old Time Religion” as much as we do, to listen click here. Happy Thanksgiving!
—Aaron