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Pinecone Presents An Evening With Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton February 23

Phyllis Coley @phyllis_coley

Raleigh, NC – Virtuoso blues musician Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton will perform a rare solo show in Raleigh on Friday, Feb. 23 in the Fletcher Opera Theater at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts as part of PineCone’s Down Home Concerts.

Paxton was recently featured in the PBS Documentary American Epic Sessions, a documentary presented by T. Bone Burnett, Robert Redford, and Jack White. The documentary features performances by Alabama Shakes, The Avett Brothers, Rhiannon Giddens, Merle Haggard, Elton John, Auntie Geri Kuhia, Pokey LaFarge, Bettye LaVette, Los Lobos, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Taj Mahal, Steve Martin & Edie Brickell, Willie Nelson, Raphael Saadiq, and many more. This fall, Paxton will be touring the U.S. with the musicians from this groundbreaking music documentary.

In addition to being a virtuosic multi-instrumentalist (he sings and plays banjo, guitar, piano, fiddle, harmonica, Cajun accordion, and the bones (percussion)), Paxton has been the Artistic Director of the Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival & Workshop in Washington state since 2015. Paxton transforms traditional jazz, blues, folk, and country music into the here and now.

He is still in his 20s and is often described as a young man with an old soul.

Jerron performed to a sold out audience at the Lead Belly Tribute at Carnegie Hall on February 4, 2016 along with Buddy Guy, Eric Burdon, Edgar Winter, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and other stars. It is no exaggeration to say that Paxton made a huge impression. In the two years since his incredible performance at that star-studded show in one of the world’s great concert houses, Paxton’s own star has been rising fast.

He opened for Buddy Guy at B.B. Kings in NYC; for Robert Cray at the Reading, PA Blues Festival; and he has performed at numerous other festivals, including: PNC presents Wide Open Bluegrass in Raleigh; Woodford Folk Festival & Byron Bay Blues Festival in Australia; Calgary Folk Festival in Canada; Jewel City Jam in Huntington, WV; Freihofers Jazz Festival in Saratoga Springs, FL; Clearwater Festival in Croton-on-The Hudson, NY; Fayetteville Roots Festival in Fayetteville, AR; Cambridge Folk Festival in the UK; Harvest Time Rhythm & Blues Festival in Ireland; and he headlined the 2017 Brooklyn Folk Festival.

Paxton was featured on CNN’s Great Big Story, and he has been on the cover of Living Blues Magazine and the Village Voice; in addition, he has been interviewed on FOX News. Paxton’s sound is influenced by the likes of Fats Waller and “Blind” Lemon Jefferson, among others.

Tickets range from $25-$35 (before sales tax) and can be ordered online via Ticketmaster.com (online fees apply), by phone through PineCone’s box office (919-664-8302 – flat $5.36 fee per order), or in person at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts Box Office (no additional fees). Learn more at pinecone.org or dukeenergycenterraleigh.com. 

PaxtonAbout PineCone

PineCone is a year-round source for roots music fans in the Triangle region of North Carolina, a state with deep roots in the tradition of making music. North Carolina is home to some of the finest singers, songwriters, musicians, and luthiers in the world. Ballad singing, blues, bluegrass, gospel, and old-time string band music are just some examples of the folk music traditions passed down through generations that remain prominent in our communities today.

Founded in 1984, PineCone, the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, is a non-profit organization that presents more than 200 programs annually, including more than 30 concerts, youth programs, participatory jams and sessions, and a weekly radio show. Since 2013, PineCone has also been the producer of PNC presents Wide Open Bluegrass, the festival component of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass.

Since 2005, PineCone has been a resident company at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, alongside the North Carolina Symphony, North Carolina Opera, Carolina Ballet, and North Carolina Theatre. Down Home Concerts primarily take place in Fletcher Theater (600 seats), and we occasionally utilize Meymandi Concert Hall (1600 seats) and Memorial Auditorium (2200 seats). 

PineCone is committed to making their programs accessible and welcoming to all people. The Duke Energy Center’s services include assistive listening devices and T-coil/neck loop technology, courtesy on-site wheelchairs, shuttle services, and wheelchair-accessible parking, entrances, and seating. Both audio description and sign language interpretation are available by request; a two to three week notice prior to performance is requested, if possible. (PineCone will make every effort to provide these services with less notice, but more notice helps with planning and scheduling.)

Please call PineCone’s Box Office at 919-664-8302 if you have any questions, or you can also contact the Center directly: 919-996-8700. Learn more: https://pinecone.org/content/accessibility

Limited tickets are still available for additional concerts that are part of PineCone’s Down Home Concerts at the Duke Energy Center, including:

  • Molly Tuttle – March 2, 2018
  • Rhiannon Giddens – April 14, 2018 (presented in partnership with Broadway Series South)
  • North Carolina Heritage Awards Ceremony – May 23, 2018 (presented in partnership with North Carolina Arts Council)

Visit PineCone’s website for a complete list of upcoming concerts and events: pinecone.org