CarolinaChocolateDrops---African-Amer.StringBand

Subject: Reviving African-American String Bands
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Jan 07 - 09:19 PM

Listen to a wonderful interview on NPR of members of the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Joe Thompson was incredible.

From their website:

"The Carolina Chocolate Drops are a group of young African-American stringband musicians that have come to together to play the rich tradition of fiddle and banjo music in Carolinas' piedmont. Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson both hail from the green hills of the North Carolina Piedmont while Dom Flemons is native to sunny Arizona. Although we have diverse musical backgrounds, we draw our musical heritage from the foothills of the North and South Carolina. We have been under the tutelage of Joe Thompson, said to be the last black traditional string band player, of Mebane, NC and we strive to carry on the long standing traditional music of the black and white communities. Joe's musical heritage runs as deeply and fluidly as the many rivers and streams that traverse our landscape. We are proud to carry on the tradition of black musicians like Odell and Nate Thompson, Dink Roberts, John Snipes, Libba Cotten, Emp White, and countless others who have passed beyond memory and recognition.

A Little on Piedmont Stringband Music

"When most of people think of fiddle and banjo music, they think of the southern Appalachian Mountains as the source of this music. While the mountains of Virginia, Tennessee, North and South Carolina are great strongholds of traditional music today, they are certainly not the source. The nuances of piedmont stringband music stem from the demographics of the piedmont and thereby its focus on the banjo as the lead instrument. Among black ensembles, the banjo often set the pace and if a fiddle was present and it often was not, it served as accompaniment and not as the lead instrument as is more common in the Appalachian tradition. A guitar or mandolin would have been rare, but unheard of, in these bands but the foundation of this tradition lies rooted in the antebellum combination of fiddle and banjo.

"Want to know more about the African-American old-time tradition? Visit blackbanjo.com for more links to more information."

Subject: RE: Reviving African-American String Bands
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Jan 07 - 09:24 PM

Forgot to say Taj Mahal made some great comments about them on the npr piece, too.

Subject: RE: Reviving African-American String Bands
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 28 Jan 07 - 10:25 PM

A previous thread on the topic.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Reviving African-American String Bands
From: katlaughing
Date: 29 Jan 07 - 01:05 AM

Thanks, Becky. I think I will rename this thread for the Carolina Chocolate Drops, as I didn't see them mentioned in the other thread.

Subject: RE: Carolina Chocolate Drops African-Amer. String
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 29 Jan 07 - 09:16 AM

Only problem is it reads as if some entity called Carolina Chocolate is engaged in dropping an African American String Band...

Still it's a heading to prompt curiosity, and got me to open the thread. There are a few clips on YouTube with the band - here is one. Good stuff!

Subject: RE: Carolina Chocolate Drops African-Amer. String Band
From: Maryrrf
Date: 29 Jan 07 - 09:42 AM

We've had two members of the Carolina Chocolate Drops - Rhiannon Giddens and Dom Flemons, at our concert series. Two very talented and very down to earth young people - first class all the way. Nice to see that they are getting some good publicity!

Subject: RE: CarolinaChocolateDrops---African-Amer.StringBand
From: GUEST,Brian Peters
Date: 29 Jan 07 - 10:08 AM

Indeed they are (talented and down to earth)! I met them at the Cooks a year or so ago. Would love to see the band.

Subject: RE: CarolinaChocolateDrops---African-Amer.StringBand
From: GLoux
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 09:51 AM

Check out the Carolina Chocolate Drops myspace page.

-Greg

Subject: RE: CarolinaChocolateDrops---African-Amer.StringBand
From: Ebbie
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 12:18 AM

Thanks for that YouTube link, Bill D. I don't think there is any doubt but that they'll be a hit!

Question: Before I started the Do You Know the Chocolate Drops thread I put Chocolate Drops in the filter and set it to All. This thread did NOT come up. Why?

And somebody please combine these threads!

Subject: RE: CarolinaChocolateDrops---African-Amer.StringBa
From: katlaughing
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 12:28 AM

I think it didn't come up because there was no space between Carolina - Chocolate - Drops, Ebbie. It puzzled me for a bit, until I found it.

Subject: RE: CarolinaChocolateDrops---African-Amer.StringBand
From: nickp
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 04:51 AM

Saw them last autumn (sorry... fall!) on a trip over the water. Yes, very good indeed. Nick