Music Maker Foundation

06/01/2026

Elizabeth Cotten Freight Train Blues continues this Friday, June 5 with a dynamic showcase of eastern North Carolina's finest sacred soul singers! 🚂🎶

Join us at Carrboro Town Commons from 6:30-8:30 PM for a FREE evening of uplifting live music featuring:

🎤 Dedicated Men of Zion
🙌 Faith & Harmony

Bring your picnic dinner, lawn chairs, and dancing shoes! Food and drinks will be available for purchase from local food trucks. Free parking is available in downtown Carrboro.

Elizabeth Cotten is presented in partnership with the Town of Carrboro, NC and our generous sponsors, North Carolina Public Radio - WUNC and The Forest at Duke Continuing Care Retirement Community.

Freight Train Blues: Dedicated Men of Zion and Faith & Harmony Live Dedicated Men of Zion , Faith & Harmony Location Carrboro Town Commons 301 W. Main Street, Carrboro, NC Date & Time June 5, 2026 — June 5, 2026 6:30 pm — 8:30 pm Dedicated Men of Zion. Dedicated Men of Zion The Dedicated Men of ...

05/29/2026

If you’ve been keeping up with Music Maker news, you may know that we’ve embarked on a partnership with The Parchman Band, the newly-revived blues band at Mississippi State Penitentiary.

Tim Duffy (co-founder and Executive Director) recently wrote about his life-changing visit to the prison to take portraits for the band’s upcoming debut album and songbook, scheduled for release on the Music Maker label in 2027.

This weekend, Tim returns to Parchman to document the prison’s annual Family Day festivities, where incarcerated men, their families, and staff gather for a picnic with minimal guard presence – and where the Parchman Band will perform for their loved ones with country songwriter Charlie Worsham!

Check out some of Tim's photos from his previous visit at musicmaker.org.

📸 Michael Snell, singer with the Parchman Band. Parchman, MS, 2026. Tintype by Tim Duffy.

SLIDESHOW: Parchman Portraits Blues May 29, 2026 Stephen "Dro" Chambers, singer with the Parchman Band. Parchman, MS, 2026. Tintype by Tim Duffy. If you’ve been keeping up with Music Maker news, you may know that we’ve embarked on a partnership with The Parchman Band, the newly-revived blues ban...

05/28/2026

Big Fountain Fest news: We're thrilled to announce that Fred Thomas of the J.B.'s is officially joining the lineup for October 17 in Fountain, NC!

One of the originators of funk music, Fred played bass with James Brown & the JB's for more than thirty years. 🎸 He's since stepped up to the mic himself, releasing his first singles as a solo artist in 2024 and recording his first full-length solo album at Music Maker Studios in 2025.

We can't wait for Fred to return to Fountain this fall - and reunite with his old bandmate (and fellow performer) Leroy Harper, Jr!

General admission and VIP tickets are available now: https://www.musicmaker.org/event/fountain-fest-2026/

📸 Fred Thomas. Fountain, NC. Photo by Tim Duffy.

Fountain Fest 2026 Live Kelley Breiding , Dedicated Men of Zion , Faith & Harmony , The Carolina Cutups Location R.A. Fountain General Store 6754 E Wilson St, Fountain, NC Date & Time October 17, 2026 — October 17, 2026 2:00 pm — 6:00 pm EST Join us in Fountain, NC on Saturday, October 17th at 2...

05/26/2026

📸 Jerry Harrison. Fountain, NC. Tintype by Tim Duffy.

05/25/2026

Elizabeth Cotten Freight Train Blues continues this Friday, May 29 with a celebration of North Carolina's singer-songwriter, folk, and acoustic blues traditions! 🚂🎶

Join us at Carrboro Town Commons from 6:30-8:30 PM for a FREE evening of live music featuring:

🎵 David Childers, singer-songwriter from western North Carolina
🎵 Lightnin' Wells, acoustic folk blues artist (and former Music Maker board member!) from Fountain, NC

Bring your picnic dinner, lawn chairs, and dancing shoes! Food and drinks will be available for purchase from local food trucks. Free parking is available in downtown Carrboro.

Elizabeth Cotten is presented in partnership with the Town of Carrboro, NC and our generous sponsors, North Carolina Public Radio - WUNC and The Forest at Duke Continuing Care Retirement Community.

Freight Train Blues: David Childers & Lightnin’ Wells Live Location Carrboro Town Commons 301 W. Main Street, Carrboro, NC Date & Time May 29, 2026 — May 29, 2026 6:30 pm — 8:30 pm Lightnin' Wells. David Childers Born and raised in Mt. Holly, N.C., David Childers has written hundreds of songs ...

05/24/2026

Deeply rooted in the music of western North Carolina, Kelley Breiding has been a Music Maker Next Generation Artist since 2015, when we began working with her trio Spencer Branch.

Since then, she has performed across the region with her rockabilly group Kelley and the Cowboys, old-time act Crooked Road Ramblers, and country variety show The Blue Ridge Opry - but rarely, if ever, as simply Kelley Breiding.

Now, on her new album Nightingale, Kelley finally takes the spotlight as a true solo artist.

“I threw off a cloak I didn’t know I had on,” she says. “A lot of the things I’ve involved myself with historically involved a persona or a story… When I walked into Music Maker Studios, there was no armor, no gimmick. It was just me, saying what I want to say.”

Nightingale soars onto streaming, Bandcamp, and the Music Maker store on July 10 - but members of our Listener’s Circle get early access June 1! Join or renew by May 29 to make sure you don’t miss out.

📸 Cover photo by Elk Images.

05/23/2026

“This has made a night and day difference in getting my food and paying the bills.” - Jimmi Mayes, blues drummer from Jackson, MS

From the unsung heroes of the blues to torchbearers of centuries-old gospel traditions, the musicians we work with enrich our lives and our nation’s culture – often in spite of poverty, illness, and other barriers to their well-being.

Our Sustenance Program provides grants and other assistance to the most vulnerable, making sure their day-to-day needs are met so they can sustain both their creativity and their health.

But we can’t meet needs we don’t know about. To better understand the issues facing our partner artists, we conduct an annual Artist Survey, reaching out to as many as possible to get a snapshot of their daily lives.

Read our latest findings at musicmaker.org/stories/its-made-a-night-and-day-difference/

📸 Jimmi Mayes. Clarksdale, MS, 2025. Photo by Tim Duffy.

05/22/2026

Leroy Harper Jr. is not just a saxophonist - he's a living link to the golden age of funk and soul. 🎷 For more than 15 years, he played saxophone with the legendary James Brown, touring the world and contributing to the unmistakable sound of the "Godfather of Soul."

🚂 Elizabeth Cotten Freight Train Blues continues TONIGHT, May 22 with *free* performances by Da Funky Leroy Harper Jr. All-Starz and Lynn Grissett! Join us at the Drakeford Library Complex Performance Space in Carrboro, NC, 6:30-8:30 PM. Seating is limited, so plan to get there early!

This annual concert series is presented in partnership with the Town of Carrboro and our generous sponsors, WUNC - North Carolina Public Radio and The Forest at Duke.

📸 Leroy Harper, Jr. Fountain, NC, 2025. Photo by Tim Duffy.

Thomas plays with his thumb, giving him a powerful tone, unusual among bassists, but that’s how it came most naturally to him as he was learning.

05/21/2026

05/20/2026

Friday's weather forecast is predicting rain - but the show WILL go on!

Our May 22 concert featuring Da Funky Leroy Harper Jr. All-Starz and Lynn Grissett will be held indoors at the Drakeford Library Complex Performance Space (203 S. Greensboro St, Carrboro, NC).

Still totally free, still totally funky! 🎶🎷 Seating is limited, so please plan to arrive early. Come chase away the rainy day blues with us!