Photo Gallery
The Jeff Little Trio
From NC’s Appalachian high county to the Neuse River’s confluence with Pamlico Sound, a concert steeped in genuine originality was music to see, hear, embrace, and absorb.
Natives of Boone, NC in the state’s northwestern mountains, Jeff Little, pianist, Steve Lewis, acoustic guitar and banjo, and Luke Little, mandolin, walk onto the stage attired in jeans, plaid shirts, and ordinary caps from differing retail vendors. What follows is a virtuoso performance from internationally acclaimed musicians who have performed on several continents.
According to Jeff Little, when he was asked to fill in as his church’s ailing pianist whenever he was home from the road, he was asked if he could read music. He responded, “Not enough to hinder my playing.” That quip and their down home “uniforms” defy what an audience is about to hear.
Their music, could slightly remind one of a performance by Victor Borge, a virtuoso classical pianist who wore formal attire on stage, interspersed with large doses of dry humor. Humor is a much smaller part of the trio’s concert featuring Jeff’s virtuoso’s command of the piano; it is genuine, ample, witty, and entertaining, yet not at all slapstick in the Borge style. .
Steve Lewis, a flat picker from Todd, NC, won a nation award in acoustical guitar. The contest rules stipulated the winner must wait 5 years before competing again to provide a broader base for entries. Five years later, Steve won again. Jeff stated, “I told him that two national guitar championships did not mean his pay for each gig would reflect those accomplishments.” The concert is filled with both light banter and modest conversation that reflects the trio’s deep appreciation for the opportunity to share their musical heritage.
Jeff accompanies his keyboard with harmonica for a few numbers, despite his wife’s admonition that he is not known as a multi-tasker.
Though hidden from view by his pickin’ hand, the banjo of Steve Lewis has the look of Willie Nelson’s guitar, a high degree of experience.
Luke Little, Jeff’s son, doubles as the trio’s marketing director, i.e., he is the one who has to stand by after the concert to sell CDs and T-shirts.
Where land and water meet sky in Pamlico County, Jeff Little, Steve Lewis, and Luke Little mesmerized their audience at Oriental’s Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival, 2025. Learn more about this non-assuming but astonishingly talented group at,
www.jefflittle.net
A personal note.
Good journalism for hard news, and to some extent feature writing, dictates a minimal use of adjectives and subjective opinion. News or feature, it is difficult to refrain from subjective praise to define the heritage, the musical traditions, the use of a rather restricted number of instruments, and the sheer entertainment value of The Jeff Little Trio. Most unusual is that the lead instrument is a piano, which is not always typical for bluegrass or mountain folk music groups. Also significant, they are not limited to just one genre of music.
The trio has drawn me to appreciate, on so many levels, the diverse genres of music and genuine showmanship they embrace. And, if one meets them before or after a performance, it is easy to walk away feeling as if you have known them for a very long time. Yet they are distinguished, award winning musicians honored by highly creditable entities (See bio on their website for details). It is easy for one to experience a sense of awe when a group dressed in such casual attire begins their performance. The performance can be a literal definition of virtuoso
The music of The Jeff Little Trio is classic, but not classical. Critics could call it shallow because it does not place listeners in the throes of epic events from throughout history in the way symphonies attempt to do. Instead, to music aficionados across genre borders, their performance is energetic and definitively uplifting, technically flawless to ears tuned to the feelings, not specific notes played by their instruments. Some of their work is fast-paced. Some reflects a change of pace, for example, “Morning has broken” which is on their album, “Amazing Grace.”
After a concert, it can be easy for one to be awestruck, viewing The Jeff Little Trio as not just great musicians, but also viewing them as great personalities. Their arrangements are a prime example of music acting as a universal language.
Pamlico osprey family
Near the mouth of Whitaker Creek, which is near the mouth of the Neuse River, which on clear days is in sight of the Neuse River’s junction with Pamlico Sound, three young osprey are stretching their wings in preparation for a life beyond their nest. They were photographed in the early morning hours of July 4. Common to the area, ospreys are occasionally mistaken to be eagles because of their white head feathers. But they have a dark stripe running from their yellow eyes to the back of their heads. Unlike eagles, ospreys do not have white tail feathers. They are also much smaller than eagles, weighing about 4 pounds.
Sometimes referred to as sea hawks because they are also birds of prey, ospreys dine almost exclusively on fish. Diving to the water from heights as much as 200 feet, they strike the water feet first to snare their prey. This “air fishing” is enhanced by reversible front toes which assist in clutching a slippery fish on the return flight to nests.
Like bald eagles, osprey often use the same nest after refurbishing them each season. Those 3 years or older generally mate for life. The female lays 2 -4 eggs about 3 days apart. The chicks hatch in the sequential order in which the eggs are laid, thus the first hatched grows faster than its siblings. The chicks fledge in about 55 days. The young birds are characterized by bright orange eyes.
A necklace of brown spots across the breast is more pronounced in females. The upper tails on males is dark brown with paler bands. Females have darker heads than males. Males and females share household duties while the eggs are incubating.
The Poetry of Jazz
Willie E. Atkinson & The Transitional Jazz Quintet
Craven Community College Exploration of the Arts Series
Exploration of the Arts Series
Willie Atkinson, veteran blues and jazz singer from New Bern, performed in concert at Orringer Auditorium on the Campus of Craven Community College, Friday, February 15, 2019. He was accompanied by the Transitional Jazz Quintet, Stephen Anderson, piano, Phil Owens, guitar, Doug Trammel, bass, Michael Hanson, percussion, and Jeff Bair, saxophone.
In a news release about the concert, reviewers of his work said, “Atkinson uses his talents as a jazz vocalist to provide audiences with a fluid interpretation of jazz and blues standards”
“Whether exploring the syncopated rhythms of a swing tune or telling the story of a lonesome wanting heart, Atkinson offers a fresh approach and seizes every moment in his performance to make the songs his own.”
Atkinson’s vocals were intertwined with several solos from each member of the Transitional Jazz Quintet.
Willie and his wife, Jacquelyn, are noted historians as well as musicians. They teach in the Lifetime Learning Continuing Education Program at Craven Comunity College. Willie is also the archivist for the NC Coastal Heritage Association.
Old fishing boats don't die
They just rust, and piece by piece, flake away …
From different perspectives, every photo can be a photo-essay ...
To purchase a high resolution print, email Ben, ben@towndock.net.
Elton John pleaded, “Don’t let the sun go down on me.” He lamented, “All my pictures seem to fade to black and white.”
For the greats, Alfred Stieglitz, Ansel Adams, Paul Strand, Minor White, Edward Weston, and others, color faded to become brilliant black and white.
A sunset, or sunrise, over the water is visual art in performance mode.
What if we could deposit cloud images in memory banks?
They may look all alone on the expansive Neuse River, but they are not lonely.
A ride on the creek along shores visited time and time again never fails to provide a new image.
Shrimp trawlers lead the observer to ponder many things – the creative names of the individual vessels, reflections on a way of life, and recipes for the tasty crustaceans
One could call it a packed harbor. It is – because the boats are waiting to “pack” their shrimp at one of the two fish houses on the Oriental harbor.
Mama said there’d be days like this.
Having been devoured by a chain saw, this Buckland Road tree near Arapahoe, NC is a memory, preserved in a memory bank.
Ever speculated what it would be like if humans changed their nature with the seasons.
Just as mountains, deserts, forests, rivers and oceans lure some to the great outdoors, there is another world away from the world, up above.
Nature created the awesome quiet of the great blue yonder. Man added the roar of pounding pistons and the machine gun staccato created by changing the pitch of the prop. An SNJ used to train warriors looks peaceful in the sky.
Edenton Bay
Upper Trent River, water hyacinth.
Afternoon delight.
The everlasting beauty of a man’s workboat is just that, everlasting.
Was it that long ago?
To purchase any high resolution print of a Ben casey photograph, contact Ben, ben@towndock.net
Barns on Don Lee Farms – near the Lee Cemetery – near Camp Don Lee – near the Neuse River – near Arapahoe – only a half century ago they were projecting the rich aroma of flue cured tobacco in late summer.
Was it that long ago that the youth of Pamlico County spent summers harvesting tobacco with no cell phones to call friends during breaks?
Just as the last shadows of winter tell of the coming spring, a new day is still coming down on the farm.
Sign of the Times
Some scenes cry out to be photographed. Some scenes make one wonder, “Are you kidding me?” or “Is that for real?”
Chickweed Blooms in Pamlico County
Not all beauty is cultivated. Weed cover on fields on Janiero Road near Dawson’s Creek can be fascinating also.
