Caroline Chocolate Drops

Early American Music! Roots! 'Afro-American String band'! 'Heritage! Genuine Negro Jig'! Those last two cries are also the titles of their two brilliant CDs. Carolina Chocolate Drops is a black North American threesome that you should already know from their extremely original single 'Hit 'Em Up Style'. Behind the band name you will find Dom Flemons (mostly guitar), Rhiannon Giddens (mostly banjo), and Justin Robinson (mostly fiddle.) But the trio exchange instruments at the drop of a hat or throw in some vigorous vocals or perfect percussion (if need be with 'bones' or a 'computer hard drive triangle'.) Energetic and educational! Even the packaging appears authentic: with clothes 'from before the war' but, especially, always with plenty of explanation about the songs that they serve and take on. Alan Lomax would certainly have been extremely appreciative of Carolina Chocolate Drops. But the same can be said of the audience at Dranouter this summer! Genuine Negro Jig is out on the Nonesuch label (via Warner) and was produced by Joe Henry! De Standaard reported at the time: '3/4... eerlijk als goud... klasse.' Les inrocks too: 'Retro mais pas trop'. Top roots!