African Americans have a long and prominent profile in the timeline of string band music, but their almost complete absence from contemporary styles like Bluegrass, Country and Folk has done little to support their historical importance to the genres.
That absence was at least partially rectified five years ago when multi-instrumentalist Dom Flemons, banjoist/fiddler Rihanna Giddens and fiddler/banjoist Justin Robinson got together to form the Carolina Chocolate Drops, taking the Bluegrass community by storm. The trio met at the Black Banjo Gathering in North Carolina — Giddens was one of the event’s organizers, Flemons was a curious attendee and Robinson was there to take fiddle instruction from 90-year-old master Joe Thompson. The foursome played in a variety of configurations over the next few months until Flemons, Giddens and Robinson settled into permanence, dubbing themselves the Carolina Chocolate Drops as an homage to a similarly christened band from the 1920s.
Combining Bluegrass, Folk and a heightened form of Piedmont-style Blues (all of it filtered through their individual Pop/Jazz/Funk/Classical experiences and influences), the Carolina Chocolate Drops were immediate sensations on the festival circuit. In the band’s brief downtime between gigs, the Drops managed to record and mix in just a couple of days their debut, 2007’s Dona Got a Ramblin’ Mind, a fascinating and highly acclaimed mix of originals and obscure covers.
Over the past three years, the Drops have continued to expand their fervently loyal fan base with their passionate live presentation and a relentless touring schedule. The Drops did find time to record their just-released sophomore album, Genuine Negro Jigs, another winning blend of tribute and originality that brings to mind Jim Kweskin’s Jug Band, R. Crumb’s Cheap Serenaders and Mance Lipscomb.
In five short but hard-working years, the Carolina Chocolate Drops have transcended the novelty of being a black Bluegrass band by becoming one of the best bands the genre has to offer.
(Buy tickets, check out performance times and get venue details here.)
This article appears in Jul 7-13, 2010.
