Carolina Chocolate Drops
| Carolina Chocolate Drops | |
|---|---|
 The Carolina Chocolate Drops performing in Birmingham, Alabama, in June 2008. |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Durham, North Carolina, United States |
| Genres | Old-time |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Labels | Nonesuch/Elektra Records Dixiefrog Music Maker |
| Website | www.carolinachocolatedrops.com |
| Members | Rhiannon Giddens Dom Flemons Hubby Jenkins |
| Past members | Justin Robinson Adam Matta |
The Carolina Chocolate Drops is an old-time string band from Durham, North Carolina, United States. Its 2010 album, Genuine Negro Jig, won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, and was number 9 in FRoots magazine's top 10 albums of 2010.
The Drops are one of the two known full-time African American string bands.
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Career [edit]
Formed in November 2005, following the members' attendance at the first Black Banjo Gathering held in Boone, North Carolina in April 2005, the group grew out of the success of Sankofa Strings, an ensemble that featured Flemons, Giddens and percussionist/banjoist Sule Greg Wilson, with Robinson as an occasional guest artist. There were originally three members: Rhiannon Giddens, Dom Flemons, and Justin Robinson, who were all in their twenties when the group formed.[1] All of the musicians sing and trade instruments including banjo, fiddle, guitar, harmonica, snare drum, bones, jug, and kazoo. The group learned much of their repertoire, which is based on the traditional music of the Piedmont region of North and South Carolina,[2] from the eminent African American old-time fiddler Joe Thompson, although they also perform old-time versions of some modern songs such as Blu Cantrell's R&B hit "Hit 'em Up Style (Oops!)."
The Carolina Chocolate Drops have released five CDs and one EP and have opened for Taj Mahal and, in 2011, Bob Dylan.[3] They have performed on Mountain Stage,[4] MerleFest, and at the Mount Airy Fiddlers Convention. Additionally they have performed on Fresh Air, and BBC Radio in early 2010, and at the 2010 Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee,[5] and at the 2011 Romp,[6] in Owensboro, Kentucky. On Tuesday 17 January 2012 they appeared live on BBC Radio 3. They have performed on the Grand Ole Opry several times. They have also performed on the world renowned "Later with Jools Holland".
On February 7, 2011, the band announced that beatboxer Adam Matta and multi-instrumentalist Hubby Jenkins would be joining the band, while Justin Robinson would be departing. In early 2012, they announced New Orleans based cellist Leyla McCalla would be joining the band on its current tour.
They have a song on The Hunger Games soundtrack called "Daughter's Lament."
In 2013, they were nominated for a Blues Music Award for 'Acoustic Artist'.[7]
Members [edit]
- Dom Flemons: 4-string banjo, guitar, jug, harmonica, kazoo, snare drum, bones, quills
- Rhiannon Giddens: 5-string banjo, fiddle, kazoo
- Adam Matta: Beatbox, tambourine
- Hubby Jenkins: guitar, mandolin, 5-string banjo, bones
- Leyla McCalla: Cello
Discography [edit]
Albums [edit]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Grass | US Folk | US Heat | ||
| Dona Got a Ramblin' Mind |
|
— | — | — | — |
| The Great Debaters Soundtrack (with Alvin Youngblood Hart, Sharon Jones and Teenie Hodges) |
|
— | — | — | — |
| Heritage |
|
— | — | — | — |
| Carolina Chocolate Drops & Joe Thompson (recorded live at MerleFest, April 25, 2008) |
|
— | — | — | — |
| Genuine Negro Jig |
|
150 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Carolina Chocolate Drops/Luminescent Orchestrii EP |
|
— | 3 | 11 | 32 |
| Leaving Eden |
|
123 | 1 | 6 | 2 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
Music videos [edit]
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | "Country Girl"[8] | Thomas Ciaburri |
References [edit]
- ^ Carolina Chocolate Drops at Allmusic
- ^ Roisindubh.net
- ^ Per.appstate.edu
- ^ Npr.org
- ^ Bonnaroo.com
- ^ Bluegrass-museum.org
- ^ "Blues Music Awards Nominees - 2013 - 34th Blues Music Awards". Blues.org. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
- ^ "CMT : Videos : Carolina Chocolate Drops : Country Girl". Country Music Television. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
External links [edit]
- Carolina Chocolate Drops official site
- Carolina Chocolate Drops MySpace page
- Allmusic discography
- No Depression Town and Country Featured Artist
- Sankofastrings.com
- Chasingusghost.com
Videographic documentation [edit]
- Chocolate Drops Revive String-Band Sound, by Karen Michel, Weekend Edition Sunday, January 28, 2007
- Carolina Chocolate Drops Keep Piedmont Sounds Alive, from News & Notes, February 12, 2007
- Carolina Chocolate Drops On Mountain Stage, January 6, 2009
