Kelley and the Cowboys
Last Friday, August 31, 2012

Western swing honky-tonk and blues
 
Kelley Breiding~Vocals
Ray Wood~ Guitar
Joel Savoy~Fiddle
Matt Sircely~Mandolin
Nick McMillian~Upright Bass
Glenn Fields~Drums

For those who remember 'Asleep at the Wheel'  doing covers of classic Bob Wills tunes we bring you Kelley and The Cowboys! a 5 piece band, led by by an amazing female vocalist performing early country standards as well as original music, western swing, and blues. This rocking band will have you dancing in the street !




"Led by the bluesy, no-nonsense vocals of Kelley Breiding, Kelley & The Cowboys — whether with fiddle and mandolin or stripped down to only guitar, bass and drums—shake dance floors with upbeat western swing and honky tonk.
Consider Breiding the rodeo queen."


This band excites the crowd with their high energy and amazing musicianship no matter what the musical tastes of the listener may be.


How do they do it? With mind blowing vocals from a spirited young red-head, thrilling upright bass solos, the swinging tag team of guitar and fiddle music, and the rock and roll sound of the electric 4-string mandolin with the archtop guitar dueling for the greatest break and, to top it all off, it's paired with a great dance beat, for those who are out to hit the floor!




Big Ron Hunter & Band
Last Friday, September 28, 2012
 - Acoustic Blues -


If you haven't head Big Ron Hunter you're in for a very special evening... Lets start here... listen to this tune while reading the rest of the review of this extraordinary musician...


  
Ron Hunter was born in Winston-Salem, NC. His father, who was a sharecropper, taught Ron how to sing and play the guitar at a young age. Mentored by the legendary Guitar Gabriel and versed in R&B, Rock & the Blues of BB King, Ron plays both electric and acoustic guitars in dramatically different styles.




  We reached out to the wonderful folks at Music Maker Relief Foundation and they brought Big Ron to our attention. The foundation states: "Our work affirms to these artists (true pioneers and forgotten heroes of Southern musical traditions) that we value the gifts of music and inspiration they have delivered to the world. Our mission is to give back to the roots of American music."



We hope you will support Music Maker Relief Foundation, and Big Ron Hunter... it means more than you know...

...don't miss this authentic and original musician!


 

Past Last Fridays concerts April through June 2012

Jeanne Jolly in Concert
with full band
Last Friday April 27,2012
6:30 to 9:30
   It’s said that Singer/songwriter Jeanne Jolly broke onto the music scene as the featured      vocalist for Grammy Award nominated jazz trumpeter Chris Botti. However, Jolly is in fact a formally trained vocalist…

she was a Fletcher Music Scholar at Western Carolina University before going on to earn a Masters in Vocal Performance from The New England Conservatory. She made a home in LA and paid her dues doing studio and commercial work for movies and television. It was this work that led to Grammy nominated Chris Botti hearing her on a demo and asking her to be his featured touring vocalist. This gave Jolly the opportunity to tour and perform with Botti and his Quintet throughout North America and to sing with world renowned symphonies, performing at venues like the Monterey Jazz Festival and playing to a sold out crowd at Carnegie Hall. How do you top that? Jolly chose to leave the limelight to follow her heart and her muse to pursue a solo career as a singer songwriter. In her Bio she states that she felt herself "being pulled back to her Southern roots".

She subsequently co-wrote, co-produced, and recorded her first country/Americana EP in January, 2008 and started a band in Los Angeles.

In 2009, Jolly moved back to North Carolina where she began to focus on developing her guitar skills, sharpening her solo performance, and focusing on writing more of her own songs.

It wasn’t long until she once again found herself in the company of Grammy nominated artists, opening up for Sam Bush, Maura O’Connell, Chuck Mead, and many more.

In October 2010 Jolly released her acclaimed new EP, 'Falling In Carolina'. You can Listen to Jolly's beautiful original composition  'Falling in Carolina' here:

Jeanne Jolly's straightforward style belies an extraordinary musicality delivered with seeming ease. At once both bright and warm, Jolly's vocal renderings can range from a full power delivery to a song full of tenderness, sublimely sweet without being saccharine. In 'Falling in Carolina, her voice floats effortlessly above the strings. This is songwriting that holds you close with it's emotional musical story. Her voice will resonate not just with your ears... but with your heart.

In the song 'Falling in Carolina she writes:

If you listen to this rendition of Hallelujah recorded at the Southland Ballroom I trust you'll agree that we're fortunate indeed to have this very talented artist "Home in Carolina".   - Mark Donley




We hope you'll support this artist by purchasing her critically acclaimed CD... copies of the CD are available at the Hillsborough Arts Council office and Eno Gallery in Hillsborough. All proceeds go directly to the artist. You can also purchase CDs at Jeanne Jolly's website.


Greg Humphreys
with full band
Last Friday, May 25, 2012
6:30 to 9:30

Greg Humpreys is well known in the triangle as the leader of a number of successful bands including Dillon Fence and Hobex.
This is an opportunity to see this talented singer songwriter before he leaves on a European tour in June that includes Prague and London...

"North Carolina native Greg Humphreys has undergone several musical transformations over the years, from the modest countrified pop musings proffered by his first band, Dillon Fence, to the rarified funk of his previous outfit Hobex. Yet this new, all-so-mellow solo collection not only finds Humphreys in a reflective state but dabbling in a more sophisticated style as well."

Speaking about his latest album Greg says:


   People You May Know is my third solo album, following 2009's Trunk Songs and 2010's Realign Your Mind. While I'm still hewing roughly to the troubador's path, my genre adventures in songwriting continue.

   Jazz Standards, Soul Classics, Folk Songs, Beach Music, Murder Ballads, and Classic Pop Hits (among other things) flavor the gumbo this time around."

"Humphreys' craftsmanship and effortlessly endearing voice are still striking."                                   Chris Parker - The Independent

   We trust that Greg will bring a great set to Last Friday's with a mix of old favorites and new tunes alike - don't miss it!

 
Triangle Jazz Orchestra
 Last Friday, June 29, 2012.
6:30 to 9:30 pm

   The Triangle Jazz Orchestra is a swinging big band composed of some of the finest Jazz musicians from across the Triangle area of North Carolina.
   They will get you dancing with their songs from the jazz masters of the Swing Era, including Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington, as well as more recent jazz and blues tunes.

   This talented big band of 17 musicians includes a full horn section for rich harmonies and a complete rhythm section for a driving, danceable beat. We're honored to have this great headline act at Last Friday's!

Johnson's Crossroad

Last Friday, July 27, 2012
6:30 to 9:30 pm

Johnson's Crossroad has been described as 'Appalachian Soul'.  The band blends blues, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass, for a sound that The Daily Times’ Steve Wildsmith calls “both mournful and jubilant, breezy and graveyard serious.”

Johnson Crossroads leader, Paul Johnson says: "I like to keep the words simple. I try and follow Hank Williams as much as possible, let the words tell the story and the music back it up,".

His inspiration is simple yet intently focused. "I was born in the mountains of West Virginia, I've always been in the mountains all my life," said Johnson who now calls Asheville, NC home. A dark power, like the steep slope on the backside of a ravine, where the water tumbles down, seeps into his songs and gives the simplicity of his words the strength of a freight train running through a mountain pass. Dobro, mandolin and fiddle back up his clean lyrics.

"frontman Paul Johnson’s voice barely rises above a growl, but he stretches that sound to encompass the experience of a train-hopping hobo and the wisdom of an old man recalling loves lost and wars fought from the porch of a backwoods cabin.”
Steve Wildsmith
- The Daily Times








Past Last Fridays concerts 2011



Last Friday, September 30

BIG DADDY LOVE
6:30 to 9:30 pm 

Big Daddy Love

BIG DADDY LOVE brings a natural blend of grass, roots and rock to the emerging North Carolina music scene. With fiery vocals, sweet-sugary harmonies, authentic song-craft, and undeniable musicianship, the quintet delivers high-energy performances comprised of their own brand of good-time music. It is the startling power of these live shows that resonate with their audience. Genuine and intensely personal lyrics captivate and connect.


Last Friday, August 26

Lenny Marcus Trio
6:30 to 9:30 pm

Lenny Marcus Trio

The Lenny Marcus Trio is a well schooled jazz trio whose sound has been called “infectious” by Jazz Times Magazine! The trio has performed in two international jazz festivals in Barbabos and Grenada, many local and regional gigs in Southwest Virginia and North Carolina and throughout the Southeastern USA. Lenny himself worked for many years in New Orleans, studied with Ray Bryant, Ellis Marsalis, Alvin Batiste, and performed in three New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festivals. His trio’s music has a sound of its own, and his music has been featured in radio and film.

 The trio has recorded and performed with jazz legends such as Charlie Byrd, Frank Foster, Sonny Fortune, Brian Lynch, Jane Powell, Mundell Lowe and many others. Lenny also performs on flute and adds vocals, which makes his band a versatile and inventive trio that is sure to please, from small venues to much larger events.


Last Friday, July 29

Tropic Orchestra
6:30 to 9:30 pm

Ricardo Diquez and The Tropic Orchestra

Ricardo Diquez and The Tropic Orchestra is a Caribbean dance Orchestra, consisting of local and international musicians living in The Triangle area of North Carolina. The popularity of Latin rhythms such as the Merengue,Cha Cha, and Salsa, allowed our group to display a wide range of styles in festivals and places where people could listen, dance, learn, and most of all enjoy these rhythms of Latin music.

Ricardo has been singing all of his life and has entertained crowds and dancers in the area for over 10 years. Salsa music has been a part of Ricardo's life since he was a child having met many Salsa greats such as, Hector Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Ruben Blades, Oscar D' Leon, and Tito Rojas; courtesy of his parents introductions as a child.

Last Friday, June 24 

Cool John Ferguson and Band
6:30 to 9:30 pm

Playing a blues rooted in low country gospel traditions, Cool John Ferguson is a force to be reckoned with.  He’s collaborated with blues greats, like BB King and Beverly Guitar Watkins, toured at festivals and clubs around the world, and Taj Mahal says he sits among the top 5 guitarist in the world.

"He is a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. He is with the ranks of Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery and Django Reinhart."  Taj Mahal

"..his guitar playing simmers." Chris Parker The Independent

Last Friday, April 29

The Lizzy Ross Band
6:30 to 9:30 pm

The Lizzy Ross Band has an alt. country jazzy sound that fuses jazz and bluegrass with raw blues, rock and soul.

Ross’ sultry soaring vocals have pushed this local favorite to the number 3 position in the Reverbnation charts.  The band’s tight arrangements are tasteful and unique, ranging from subtly complimentary to virtuosically explosive.

In June 2010 Lizzy Ross released her debut solo album, Traces was nominated for HGMN 2010 album of the year, Traces has been met with critical acclaim for the passion and beautiful songwriting it contains.

“I was utterly blown away… truly original songwriting, and the heart-bursting siren call of singer Lizzy Ross combined for something that I felt I had been waiting for my entire life. Ross’ voice has a soulful, swelling quality reminiscent of Fiona Apple…” Raleigh Weekend in Review

"Lizzy Ross has the pipes to do it all," The Daily Tar Heel. “She can be sultry or innocent, despondent or hopeful. Throughout, though, her voice jumps octaves and bursts into extended runs, barely containing some hidden joy of youth or the excitement of uncertainty” Andrew Ritchie The Independent

The Lizzy Ross Band includes Lizzy Ross on vocals and rhythm guitar, Dylan Shrader on electric guitar, Casey Toll on upright bass, and Drew Daniel on percussion. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, Ross writes original music inspired by artists from Sam Cooke to Patty Griffin. Shrader’s training in bluegrass, combined with Daniel and Toll’s formal jazz education, creates uniquely soulful music that is intelligent, danceable, and unique.


Brochures with a map of the Last Fridays Art Walk are available at any of the participating venues


The Hillsborough Arts Council is an all volunteer non-profit organization supporting the arts in Hillsborough, NC with funding support in part from the Hillsborough Tourism Board , the Orange County Arts Commission and private contributions, sponsors the Last Fridays program.  Coordination support comes from the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough and its member organizations.
For general information on Last Fridays contact the Hillsborough Arts Council at 919-643-2500 or the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough/Orange County Visitors Center at 919-732-7741 or www.historichillsborough.org.