Join for our 6th season of 

At the Gallery: 20th Century Composers Series 

McCartney & Lennon
Performed by The Wannabees
September 21, 2019

Janis Joplin
Performed by Fairlight DeTorres
October 19, 2019

Hank Williams Sr.
Performed by Blue Cactus
November 16, 2019

Harold Arlen
Performed by Crystal Bright & the Silver Hands
January 25, 2020
Ray Charles
Performed by the Heather Pierson Trio
February 29, 2020

Daltrey & Townshend
Performed by Meet the New Boss
March 28, 2020

Herbie Hancock
Performed by Minus2
April 18th, 2020

Harry Nilsson
Performed by John VanDyke
May 30, 2019
Season Finale 
Performed by Ken Kennedy
June 20, 2020
As Craven Arts heads into our 6th season of At the Gallery, we reflect on the multifaceted journey through the Great American Songbook that the 48 influential American composers whom we've covered have taken us. As the saying goes, time marches on, and the story of influential music in America cannot be told without opening up our doors to the world. This season we bring you music from the world over while still keeping to our American roots and shared love of music. Our goal is to bring you the highest quality performers, some local, many from other regions of North Carolina, and some from other regions of the country. 
Online sales have closed. Please call or visit Bank of the Arts for remaining tickets. 

At the Gallery: McCartney & Lennon 
​September 21, 2019

The iconic duo behind the music of the Beatles, Paul McCartney and John Lennon's songwriting partnership began in 1957 when the pair met at a Church event. The two immediately struck up a partnership that would form the basis of the world's most iconic band, and produce more than 180 songs. Since the inception of their partnership the pair agreed that all songs written by them would feature both names, and though later disputes would see the alteration of the order and crediting of certain songs, they remain one of the most influential songwriters of the 20th century. According the Guinness Book of World Records, "Yesterday" is the most covered song of all time. Hits include "Hey Jude", "Across the Universe", "Yellow Submarine", "Here Comes the Sun", "Blackbird", and "Wait."
​The Wannabes 
Bio coming soon!

SOLD OUT! At the Gallery: Janis Joplin
October 19, 2019

First coming to prominence as lead singer of "Big Brother and the Holding Company" at the Monterrey Pop Festival, Janice Joplin was known for her signature voice, electric stage presence, and bluesy sound. After gathering a following in the San Francisco Bay Area and singing lead for tow bands, Joplin decided to pursue a solo career that would see her perform at the famous Woodstock Festival and achieve mainstream success. Her life was tragically cut short by a drug overdose in 1970, soon followed posthumously by the Pearl album, one of her most successful and influential. Joplin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and to date has sold more than 15.5 million albums. Hits include "Bobby McGhee", "Cry", and "Get It While You Can."
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Emerging from the foothills of Manitou Springs, Colorado, Fairlight DeTorres arrived in eastern North Carolina with a van full of kids, a trunk full of life experiences, and a heart full of the Blues. This singer/songwriter has a passion for making others feel something in their soul, and she strives to create a vibe of unity and love. Fairlight has appeared with a number of musical acts, most notably with her very long time friend and guitar player, Joe King, as Plastic Mojo. This Blues duo/sometimes band has been playing together since 2004 and they continue to do so whenever Joe visits the eastern United States. Plastic Mojo received many accolades throughout the Colorado Springs and near mountain town regions; most notably they won first place in the Colorado You Got Talent contest. They also won the Pikes Peak Blues Community's International Blues Challenge, where they were sent to compete in Memphis.
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At the Gallery: Hank Williams Sr.
​November 16, 2019

Dubbed the "King of Country," Hank Williams Sr. was one of the first country music superstars in the world, and helped to shape and define the genre for decades to come. Learning folk, country, and blues from the age of eight, Williams' radio debut was at the age of 13, with his first band, Hank Williams and his Drifting Cowboys, at 14. Commercial success started in 1947 with "Move It On Over," and was quickly followed by a total of 35 Top Ten Hits, 5 released posthumously after his tragic death at 29 of a heart attack. Hits include "Hey Good Lookin", "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry", and "Honkey Tonk Blues."
Blue Cactus makes country music for people who think they don't like country music and people who love what country music used to be. Based out of Chapel Hill, NC, Blue Cactus is led by Steph Stewart and Mario Arnez who create songs that range from gritty honky-tonk to heartbreaking balladry.
Coming off the release of their self-titled debut album, Blue Cactus has toured up and down the east coast, breathing life into the future of “modern classic country"and receiving praise from music critics across the nation. Inspired by the iconic vocal harmonies of the Everly Brothers and dynamic twang of great singers like Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline, Stewart and Arnez conjure a sound that will take you on a familiar journey into uncharted country, expanding tropes and breathing hope into the genre's limitless possibilities.

At the Gallery: Harold Arlen
​January 25, 2020

Harold Arlen wrote more than 500 songs in the course of his career, including composing the songs of the 1939 "Wizard of Oz"  and 1954 "A Star Is Born" films. Starting as a accompanist for live performances and early recordings, Arlen achieve his first big success with "Get Happy," with Ted Koehler. Many of Arlen hits were written for musicals, movies, or the Harlem based nightclub the Cotton Club. Hits include "Over the Rainbow", "The Man That Got Away", "It's Only a Paper Moon", "Stormy Weather", and "That Old Black Magic." 
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Award winning singer/songwriter, ethnomusicologist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, Crystal Bright, has played over 1000 shows from Canada to Austin, and New Orleans to Seattle and Thailand the past 8 years sharing the stage with the likes of Beats Antique, Abney Park, Aurelio Voltaire, The Love Language, Rising Appalachia, Larkin Grimm, Pearl and the Beard, and many more.  Bright performed with the North Carolina Symphony in 2011 on an arrangement of her song "Toy Hammer," and has performed at various festivals around the country (SXSW, Savannah Stopover, FloydFest, DragonCon, LEAF, Midpoint Music Fest, The Steampunk World's Fair, The International Steampunk Symposium, Shakori Hills, and many others.) She took Runner Up for On the Rise at Floydfest 2013 for returning sets in 2014 and 2015, and was named Best Singer in 2012, Best Songwriter in 2014, and Best Musician in the Triad in 2015 by Greensboro's Yes Weekly. Joining Crystal are Danny Grewen, a trombone player and singer originally from San Francisco,  California. Since relocating to North Carolina in 2015 he has been performing with many groups including Ellis Dyson and the Shambles,  Swedish Wood Patrol,  The Yeaux Katz, and Grewen and Griffanzo.  Robert Griffin has spent most of his time in the Triangle besides teaching at Syracuse University and UNC -Asheville while fronting the Round Midnight Jazz Band. Acting as Music Director of the Chez Condoret Cabaret, soundtrack producer for UNC TV,  and pianist with the Squirrel Nut Zippers and Katharine Whalen’s Jazz Squad were all done while producing his own music and six tours in France. 

SOLD OUT! At the Gallery: Ray Charles
February 29, 2020

A pioneer of soul, Ray Charles combined blues, gospel, R&B, rock, country music and jazz to create a new genre of American music. Referred to as "Brother Ray" and "the Genius," Charles had shown an early interest in mechanical object before starting to lose his sight at the age 4 and going completely blind by the age of seven. As a result he was enrolled in the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, where he learned to read music by braille, and styles of classical, country, folk, and jazz. After graduation Charles initially meet with much hardship in finding work, until his recording contract was bought by Atlantic Recording, for whom he would record a number of hits in a variety of genres. Hits include "Georgia", "Baby Let me Hold Your Hand", "I Can Make it Through the Days", and "Unchain My Heart."
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The Heather Pierson Trio burst onto the national folk scene in 2015 with their debut EP, "Still She Will Fly."  It features the multi‐genre songwriting, instrumental arrangements and stirring three-part vocal harmonies.  The title track was the #2 single on Folk radio in 2015.  

Heather Pierson (lead vocals, piano) is an award-winning singer/songwriter and performer.  With eight previous solo recordings, Heather’s wise-beyond-her-years songwriting, angelic voice and world-class chops have catapulted her into the spotlight.  Davy Sturtevant (cornet, dobro, fiddle, mandolin, harmony vocals) is a veteran touring artist, songwriter, and performer.  Armed with a gorgeous tenor voice, Davy is at once a witty, thoughtful and engaging musical presence. Shawn Nadeau (bass, harmony vocals) brings a rock solid thump and nearly two decades of performing experience to the trio, informed by a wide spectrum of unique rhythmic and melodic sensibilities ranging from rockabilly to reggae to jazz.  

POSTPONED: At the Gallery: Daltrey and Townshend
March 28, 2020

Due to concerns about COVID-19 and in response Craven Arts Council & Gallery has postponed this event. We will inform all ticket holders of the new date as soon as that information has become available and offer refunds if necessary. 
Roger Daltrey and Peter Townshend first meet while both attending school in Acton, London. Their band would take a number of incarnations before their mainstream success as "the Who," going on to sell more than 100 million records. The groups's influence extended beyond the sound of rock, to the development of punk, music technology and hardware, and the invention of the "rock opera" format with "Tommy." Hits include "Pinball Wizard", "Behind Blue Eyes", and "My Generation." ​
Meet the New Boss
Bio coming soon! 

POSTPONED:  At the Gallery: Herbie Hancock
April 18, 2020

Due to concerns about COVID-19 and in response Craven Arts Council & Gallery has postponed this event. We will inform all ticket holders of the new date as soon as that information has become available and offer refunds if necessary. ​
After starting as a part of Donald Byrd's and Miles Davis' accompanying and touring bands Herbie Hancock began a successful solo career exploring the worlds of jazz electric fusion. His music ranged from the ecliptic jazz funk of Headhunters to the popular dance hits and music for tv shows, movies, and commercials. Hancock has won an Academy Award, 15 Grammy Awards, the NEA Jazz Masters Award, and the Kennedy Center honors. Hits include "Chameleon", "Watermelon Man", and "Maiden Voyage." 
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Minus2 is an innovative group with definitive style and substance. The brainchild of two talented brothers, Daryl and Eric Minus, Minus2 uniquely combines jazz, funk, gospel, and R&B elements into a soul-stirring, colorful collage of urban instrumental artistry.
Between the two of them, the Minus brothers have been creating and performing diverse musical styles for 30 years. The two began their musical journey as horn players in elementary school with Daryl deciding to study trumpet and Eric choosing to pursue the saxophone. After years of developing an instrumental foundation from their exposure to classical and jazz music, the undeniable influences of gospel and funk eventually became well known components of the Minus Repertoire. The Minus brothers co-founded an independent record label, In Season Music Group (ISMG), LLC in December 2000.  Under the ISMG label, the brothers have released two instrumental projects as Minus2, four gospel albums with artist Derek Dunn, and have written/produced/performed songs with a variety of jazz, rock, funk, and gospel artists throughout the United States.
ATG: Harry Nilsson

At The Gallery: Harry Nilsson
May 30, 2020

A high school drop out, Harry Nilsson worked at Paramount Theater, an influential performance hall for a variety of groups in Los Angles. After the theater closed Nilsson took up song writing, eventually signing to RCA Victor. His music would be a huge influence on the popular Beatles, who he would eventually become friends with. Nilsson rarely toured or played publicly, but was able to achieve some mainstream success through his studio albums, and even larger success through songwriting for other musicians, movies, and television. Hits include "Everybody's Talkin", Coconut", and "Jump into the Fire." 
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John Van Dyke has been singing professionally for more than 27 years doing everything from R&B and classic rock to Broadway, although his first love is jazz.  You know John from his work with New Bern Civic Theater, or perhaps from Madam Z showcases at City Stage. 
At the Gallery: Season Finale

At the Gallery: Season Finale
​June 22, 2019

Join us for a special encore presentation of the At the Gallery series.  The 20th Century  Composer Season Finale will draw from the songbooks of all eight of this season's preceding performances, performed by Ken Kennedy. This night promises to be a wonderful experience, allowing the audience to compare and contrast performance of the same composers' hits by a different musicians.  ​
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​A native of North Carolina and resident of High Point, Ken Kennedy has spent his lifetime singing and playing music.
 
As the vocalist for the Piedmont Airlines, later the US Air Jazz Orchestra, he consistently amazed audiences throughout the world in his engagements at the Grand Casino, Deauville, and Paris, France; London; Frankfurt; Wiesbaden; Konigswinter, Germany, as well as most major cities in the USA.  He sang for a distinguished audience, which included then Vice President George H. W. Bush, when the Space Shuttle Enterprise was donated to the Smithsonian Institution.  Upon the Vice President's recommendation, he later entertained at the Southern Governors' Conference in Charlotte.  He also sang successively before then ex-President George H. W. Bush and then First Lady Hillary Clinton at the prestigious Congressional Medal of Honor Society meetings. He was the featured vocalist in the "Down Home with the Carolina Pops" tour with the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, during which he performed the music of a number of North Carolina artists in styles ranging from bluegrass to jazz.  He recently was a guest artist on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.

Last at Bank of the Arts for his amazing Season Finale of the 2018-2020 season, Craven Arts Council is excited to have him back once more to wrap up the season.