Raleigh
JOHN BROWN QUINTET
YANCY’SLed by the Duke University jazz professor whose name it carries, the John Brown Quintet works individual dexterity into a well-exercised group dynamic. On recent debut Terms of Art, the ensemble’s communication is chemical and intuitive, Brown and drummer Adonis Rose splashing around each other with tension and levity as saxophonist Brian Miller and trumpeter Ray Codrington (who gave Brown his first gig at Fort Bragg Playhouse decades ago) trade solos. Pianist Gabe Evens avoids the obvious, skirting the sound with minors and unexpected suspensions. Top-notch night. The music begins at 7 p.m. Grayson Currin
A CHRISTMAS MEMORY
PULLEN PARK THEATREWith themes of poverty, loneliness and death, Truman Capote’s short story “A Christmas Memory” certainly can feel more heartbreaking than ho-ho-ho. Still, the stage adaptation of Capote’s mini-gem is sure to be equal parts sunshine and rain, as director and actor Ira David Wood turns the Christmas blues into sweet Southern charm. Today’s 3 p.m. matinee is the final performance of a three-day, four-performance run that began Friday. Ticket prices are $14. Visit www.theatreinthepark.com for more info. Kathy Justice
