Asheville News

Carolina Chocolate Drops get you moving with ‘Genuine Negro Jig’

Jason Sandford February 16, 2010

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

The Carolina Chocolate Drops (Rhiannon Giddens, Dom Flemons, Justin Robinson) recently released a long-awaited new album, Genuine Negro Jig, and I’m here to tell you that it’s pretty sweet. I just downloaded it and gave it a listen.

Y’all know the Drops. They’ve played around Asheville quite a bit. I love their old-time music, and I love how they honor the roots music. They take a few chances with a couple of tracks on the new album, which I really like. There’s are a couple of Scots-Irish-infused tracks (Reynadine), as well as a jazzy song (Why Don’t You Do Right?) that sounds straight out of The Color Purple soundtrack. Beautiful.

Check out their recent interview on NPR.

But much of what they play traces back to the minstrel acts of the 1920s — controversial music performed by white musicians in blackface. Giddens acknowledges the songs’ history.

“What we’re striving to put out there is the joyous side of this music — the good side of this time period,” she says. “There’s a lot of bad stuff, and we’re not going to deny that. But you can’t throw everything out.”

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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3 Comments

Dad February 17, 2010

Glad to see that photo from your archives Son, you got some good ones that day.

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Dad February 17, 2010

I’m glad I had a chance to hear this band when I came to AVL for the Brewgrass Fest a couple years ago. It’s great to hear them again and still making music. It was fun to hear them on NPR the other day too.

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Dismayed No Longer February 17, 2010

I’ve heard just a little bit of their music and they are very good! I think they are more into the music than the politics. Go guys – hope you have great success in the wide world.

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