PineCone has announced its 2009-2010 concert series, a mighty fine lineup that includes a two-day blowout on Jan. 30-31 to highlight its 25-year anniversary -- and the return of one of the Crescent City's finest piano players. The full schedule goes like this:

Greencards (Sept. 12, Fletcher Opera Theater)
Travelin' McCourys (Nov. 13, Fletcher Opera Theater)
Kris Kristoferson, Tift Merritt with special appearance by Community Music School choir, Tony Rice Unit, Bearfoot (Jan. 30, Meymandi Concert Hall)
Ricky Skaggs, Dale Ann Bradley, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Danny Paisley & Southern Grass (Jan. 31, Meymandi Concert Hall)
Allen Toussaint (Feb. 18, Meymandi Concert Hall)
Wailin' Jennys (April 15, Fletcher Opera Theater)
Phil Wiggins & Corey Harris (May 14, Fletcher Opera Theater)

Former local Tift Merritt will be back in her old hometown this week to play a Friday night show that will probably be very much like her new solo live album, "Buckingham Solo" (Vella Recordings). But Merritt's most interesting project right now is actually a photography exhibit, based on photographs she took in France while writing the songs that became last year's "Another Country" album. Opening Friday evening at The Mahler in Raleigh, "Other Countries" will be on display throughout May.

For details, see the story in Sunday's paper; and for more on "Another Country," see this feature from last year.

ADDENDUM (7/9/09): A new song, about Kurt Cobain.

Former local Tift Merritt gets some prominent big-screen soundtrack time in "New in Town," a romantic comedy starring Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. that looks rather implausible. But Merritt's audio star turn happens late in the movie during a flashback sequence, which is set to "Another Country" (title track to her 2008 album). Fittingly enough, this part of the movie also involves Maker's Mark whisky -- which, as you can see from here, is a pretty major photographic prop in the world of devoted Tift fans.

Meanwhile, Merritt's next Triangle show is still set for May 1 at Fletcher Opera Theatre.

(Thanks, Mitch.)

Behold the track list for expatriate homegal Tift Merritt's upcoming live album, "Buckingham Solo," which she recorded Nov. 29 in England:

"Another Country"
"Something To Me"
"Broken"
"Tender Branch"
"Keep You Happy"
"Stray Paper"
"Still Pretending"
"Trouble Over Me"
"Good Hearted Man"
"Morning is My Destination"
"I Live For You"
"Do Something Good"

"Buckingham Solo" should be out in time for Merritt's next Triangle show, May 1 at Raleigh's Fletcher Opera Theatre. Earlier that day, she'll open a photography show just down Fayetteville Street at Mahler Building Gallery. Yes, Merritt doesn't just write and sing and host a radio show, she also takes pictures -- here's a self-portrait from her MySpace page.

Yes, she does like to keep busy.

ADDENDUM: Amusingly enough, we have this to tie together a couple of recent threads.

(Thanks, Mitch.) 

Tift Merritt got a wonderful souvenir from singing the national anthem at Monday's Barack Obama rally in Charlotte, her very own picture with the president-elect.

"I'm proud of it," she says with a laugh. "I barely even remember it happening, it was so fast. But I was so excited. There was a little meet-and-greet, very quick, and I introduced myself and thanked him for all the things he was doing. He couldn't have been more genuine. He's so at ease, whether he's on a stage or speaking to just one person. It was so amazing."

Merritt is back in Paris to "recoup and write," she says. Perhaps that means a new song or two will turn up on the solo live album she's recording in England later this month.

If you were thinking about heading west on Monday to attend the Charlotte Obama rally, here's some possible added incentive -- our expatriate homegal Tift Merritt reports that she'll be there to sing the national anthem.

Triangle expatriate Tift Merritt has been playing some solo shows lately, including Obama campaign benefits in Asheville Tuesday night and Missouri tonight. Her next recording will also be a solo venture, a live album to be recorded Nov. 29 at Radcliffe Centre in Buckingham, England.

"I had a really wonderful night there earlier this year on tour and I thought, 'I should make a live record of these songs all stripped down to just me and piano here,'" Merritt reports via e-mail. "I really have no plan as of yet about what I will play. I haven't had much of a chance to write yet and I'm trying to take some time off after the Obama shows to do just that. I know I will plan some different stuff in there, but as yet I can't say what and I don't want to jinx it. I will probably make my set list that day; going to spend a little time in France beforehand."

(Thanks, Mitch.)

Last time I saw Tift Merritt, in March at South by Southwest, she and her band sounded terrific. Saturday night at the NC Museum of Art Amphitheatre, they were somehow even better. Five months of touring has tightened the ensemble immeasurably, and they hit every little nuance and change just right. Bassist Jay Brown, especially, has emerged as the James Jamerson of the alternative-country set, with prominently melodic basslines (plus great harmony vocals) that put more rhythmic punch into every song. Thanks to a killer bass part from Brown, "My Heart Is Free" had a rhythmic swing to match its hook.

But another star of the show was the venue, where Merritt  recorded her "Home Is Loud" live album three years ago. "Supposed to Make You Happy" yielded an especially magical moment, the sort you can only get outdoors. The rest of the band backed off as Merritt and Brown sang it, accompanied by acoustic guitar and harmonica -- and at exactly the right instant, a far-away train horn wafting in from the south (at just the right pitch, no less).

"I've been hearing that train my whole life," Merritt marveled afterward. "And I just now realized that I wrote that song so I could play it here, with a train horn in the same key!"

Tift Merritt doesn't live in the Triangle anymore, having moved on up to New York City last year. But she'll always be an honorary local, officially as well as unofficially. In the former capacity, she's coming back on Oct. 7 to serve as host of the City of Raleigh Arts commission's 24th annual Medal of Arts ceremony at Fletcher Opera Theater.

As host, Merritt will announce the City of Raleigh Arts Commission's "Artist of Tomorrow Scholarship," for a student pursuing a career in the arts. She'll also perform a song with a group of musicians from the Community Music School (the school tied into the "Have a Holly Raleigh Christmas" series).

In the near term, Merritt is in Raleigh this weekend to play Saturday night at the NC Museum of Art. See Friday's "What's Up" section for an interview to catch up on her other recent doings.

UPDATE (8/22/08): Here's that interview. 

A fairly famous artist did the poster for Tift Merritt's upcoming Raleigh show. Click through to give it a look-see.