DCist Preview: Carolina Chocolate Drops @ Birchmere
Carolina Chocolate Drops, photo by Julie Roberts
The Carolina Chocolate Drops is the most well-known among the few remaining African-American acts specializing in this music. They're headlining on Monday at the Birchmere, after having performed as an opener at that venue, and at events such as the Congressional Blues Festival.
"We're preservationists only in the way that we play old time string band music, that's where it ends," said Dom Flemons, a member of the group, during a recent interview with DCist. "It's not really that it's been forgotten, it's just not had commercial viability. It's always been there."
CCD is made up of Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson. All are multi-instrumentalists who also share vocal duties. Both Giddens and Robinson hail from the Piedmont region of North Carolina, while Flemons is an Arizona native. The group formed in 2005, when they met at the Black Banjo Gathering in Boone, NC, and came under the tutelage of Joe Thompson, who at 90 years-old is believed to be the oldest living performer of Piedmont string band music.
While Flemons acknowledges the importance of the group's African-American heritage, he also sees more.
"The root of it starts with being black Americans that like string band music," Flemons said. "First and foremost, we want the audience to walk away knowing that they saw a very entertaining show. After that, if they learn something about the music or the history, that's good too."
The band is touring in support of its forthcoming album, Genuine Negro Jig, its second after 2007's Dona Got A Ramblin' Mind. Produced by Joe Henry (Allen Toussaint, Elvis Costello, Ani DeFranco), the album includes traditional material with arrangements by the Chocolate Drops, original compositions done in the old-time style, and covers of Tom Waits' "Trampled Rose" and Blu Cantrell's R&B hit, "Hit 'Em Up Style." Much of the material had been part of the band's standard live repertoire.
"Joe Henry, he recorded the stuff well and with better quality than we had done previously, but there wasn't really a plan of attack in terms of what the album was going to sound like," said Flemons.
Monday's show also coincides with the annual holiday in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "I wouldn't say that it will change the show itself, but we'll probably mention something," said Flemons. "Our group has a great debt to him just in terms of our existence."
The Carolina Chocolate Drops will perform at the Birchmere on Monday, January 18, 2010, along with opening act Red Molly. Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. show are $25 + Ticketmaster fees.