Home
Welcome to the home of Learned Place House Concerts! Here, you may check our concert schedule or subscribe to our email list. We encourage you to share your comments about the concerts, recommend artists for us to host, and tell us about your favorite performers and recordings. We are pleased, with the support of many fans and friends, to be hosting another season of acoustic music in our home.
10th Anniversary Season!
Great pairings so that we can share more great music and support more great musicians.
We have two primary goals: to share a great evening of music with old and new friends and to generate financial support for working musicians. Your contributions enable us to meet both goals.
We ask a contribution of $30 per person for each show. Refreshments are provided. With your help, we have generated close to $75,000 for talented working musicians through the Learned Place concert series.
To reserve seats, please email info@learnedplacemusic.net.
Upcoming –
Friday, March 1, 8:00: Krüger Brothers
The fabulous Krüger Brothers return for the 10th consecutive year! What a blessing for all of us to hear their music and to share the joy they invariably create with their talent, warmth and generosity. Jens is a world class banjo player and composer. Uwe’s flat picking made him one of Doc Watson’s favorite guitarists, and his deeply resonant singing is hard to match. Joel’s work on bass is the secret ingredient that keeps the whole ensemble in perfect communication. There is no real name for this music — it is unique! This show always sells out, so check early on tickets. www.krugerbrothers.com
Saturday, April 6, 7:30: Jonathan Byrd and Jack Williams
Jonathan Byrd has five albums to his credit, most recently Cackalack, reflecting his deep North Carolina roots and Texas song writing influences. A poet of the regions glories and dark secrets, he has been named one of the top 50 songwriters of the last 50 years. A veteran touring performer, Jonathan puts on a rousing great show. This will be his second visit to Learned Place.
Jack Williams is a veteran touring performer with a dozen CD’s to his credit. One of the best guitarists around (the best to have appeared at Learned Place some folks say), his songs are intelligent and resonant, crossing genres like folk, blues and jazz. And he does know how to entertain. This is also an encore performance for Jack at Learned Place. www.jackwilliamsmusic.com
Earlier this Year–
Friday, October 19, 8:00: Tracy Grammer and Cliff Eberhardt
These veteran Red House recording artists are touring together this fall, and we are lucky to have them at Learned Place.
Tracy Grammer is a wonderful singer and multi-instrumentalist best known for her violin. She was the musical partner of the late great Texas songwriter Dave Carter, whose work she performs along with her own. Her most recent release on Red House records is Little Blue Egg. Tracy has toured with Joan Baez and collaborated with Mary Chapin Carpenter, among other contemporary greats.
“Grammer is, in her own right, among the finest singers and musicians anywhere in folkdom.” - Boston Globe
For more information on Tracy Grammer, visit http://www.tracygrammer.com
Cliff Eberhardt is a veteran songwriter and performer who has recorded in several genres exploring folk, rock and blues. As a member of the Fast Folk movement of the 1980s he blazed trails with the likes of Shawn Colvin, John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky. A serious automobile accident in 2002 put Cliff’s career on hold, but now he is back in full swing with two subsequent albums, with 500 Miles: The Blue Rock Sessions in 2009 and All Wood and Doors, with fellow musician James Lee Stanley in 2011, an acoustic cover album of classic Doors songs. His originality and versatility have been on display this summer in performances at the Folger Shakespeare Theater in Washington DC of The Taming of the Shrew set in the frontier West, with Cliff performing original songs to rave reviews as a member of the cast.
“Eberhardt’s music and performance . . . is something like Tom Waits meeting Willie Nelson by way of Bob Dylan. In short, the music alone is worth the price of admission.”
For more information on Cliff Eberhardt, visit http://www.cliffeberhardt.net/
Saturday, December 1, 7:30: Michael Cody and Joe Penland
Madison County, just north of Asheville, is our second home. We are active supporters of the Arts Council there and have gotten to know some great musicians. We’ve presented several in the past: Laura Boosinger and Josh Goforth and more recently Don and Marty Lewis, playing with Tony Williamson last spring. And now we are pleased to present two exceptional singer-songwriters to share an evening with us.
Michael Cody grew up in the Walnut community of Madison County. After high school, he spent 10 years in Nashville writing for two different publishing companies and performing solo and in Nashville bands. He took a break from his musical career to complete his higher education, earning a PhD in American literature and developing his talents as a poet and fiction writer. He teaches English at East Tennessee State in Johnson City, TN across the border from Madison County. Michael has resumed his musical career, with great lyrics, a distinctive voice and fine guitar playing.
For more information on Michael Cody, visit http://www.reverbnation.com/michaelcody
Joe Penland has deep roots in Madison County, musical and otherwise. He is a versatile musician and master storyteller. He sings hair-raising murder ballads that go back centuries and beautiful songs of his own creation about land, community and family. Apart from regular tours to the British Isles, he plays mostly close to home, so we are fortunate to have this “cultural treasure” of Western North Carolina performing for us in Durham.
“Joe Penland is truly an Appalachian original & his storytelling songs rooted deep in his Western North Carolina homeland, are truly Americana at its very best. He will keep you spellbound!”
For more information on Joe Penland, visit http://www.joepenlandmusic.com