Folksinger John McCutcheon, the master of a dozen different traditional instruments and seven-time Grammy nominee, has a new disc out featuring the songs of Woody Guthrie. You can catch him at The ArtsCenter, 300-G E. Main St., Carrboro, Thursday night. 919-929-1787, artscenterlive.org.

Martin Sexton may not be quite a household name, but he's about as good as it gets: a superb songwriter and spellbinding vocalist. John Mayer calls him "the best live performer I've ever seen." See for yourself Friday night at the Cat's Cradle, 300 E. Main St., Carrboro. 967-9053, catscradle.com.

Grammy Award-winning bassist extraordinaire Christian McBride is one of the most celebrated and influential artists in jazz. He'll be at Memorial Hall on the UNC campus Fright night. 919-843-3333, carolinaperformingarts.org.