Review, Photos, Videos
Decatur Library 14-Nov-2006
The Carolina Chocolate Drops
CD REVIEW - "Dona Got A Ramblin Mind" is not only a great audio recording of this
wonderful African-American string band music but it also plays high quality video. This enhanced disc from the Music Maker foundation is a real value. The video performances are worth the price alone. I couldn't be more satisfied to this fine addition to my collection and I purchased several of them for my friends. I highly recommend you support this group and the Music Maker organization using the links located at the top of the page. I really enjoyed seeing them perform live then watching and listening to this disc several times to absorb all the entertaining details. This one gets a strong thumbs up.
Carolina Chocolate Drop URLs
(CONTACT CD & DVD MYSPACE WEBSITE MUSIC-MAKER)PERFORMANCE REVIEW - The Carolina Chocolate Drops are a young African-American string band based in North
Carolina, USA and dedicated to the education and performance of African-American string band music that originated in the foothills of the Carolinas in the late 1800's and early 1900's.
The group consists of 3 primary members that met in 2005 at a black banjo gathering in North Carolina. The magic chemistry was realized and the Drops were soon born. Rhiannon Giddens plays banjo, fiddle and just about anything you put in her hands and vocals that reach far beyond her years. Her humor and sassy big
sister attitude play nicely against the back-drop of country gentleman vocalist fiddle/banjo player Justin Robinson and the multitalented songster Dom Flemons on vocals, banjo, jug and resonator guitar.
Their audience interaction is not only fascinating, educating and fun but they execute the show with a natural and relaxed flow. The audience is asked to learn clapping and percussion on their hands and chest while learning 2-3 simple vocal lines. Before you know it the entire room is involved in a complex alternating rhythm and chant then it all explodes at the fastest speed with a room full of applause and enthusiasm. Children and
adult audience members became involved in the display of various instruments and the history of each one. You could tell how much respect they show to the origins of their music and the rich history they are keeping alive. Some of the highlights of the show included Dom and Rhiannon dancing jigs and spinning instruments in the air. Dom got a little carried away at one point and sent his guitar bouncing across the stage and never missed a beat as he scooped it back up and continued to play. There's no doubt why so many of my fellow musicians and music enthusiast have fallen in love with this brilliant trio. They love what they are doing and it glows when they are on stage. They may be traveling in your area so check out their schedule and order their stuff. You'll thank me for it.
PHOTO GALLERY and VIDEOS
with descriptionsCLICK HERE TO PLAY OR DOWNLOAD VIDEO
(click here to download free quicktime player)
Above Photo: Rhiannon explained the origins of the banjo from Africa and then performed a song she learned while traveling in Africa. Dom and Justin sang beautiful backup vocals and some fairly complex clapping rhythms.
Above: It's amazing how great pure acoustic music sounds in a live setting. They were in the middle of a wonderful musical moment here. They moved the mic closer to Justin and I could hear him good. They all have very solid vocals. I have to pinch and remind myself they are so young and have been together such a short time. Pure magic is the word. You can almost hear this music coming through the woods in some country holler in the early 1900s.
Above: Dom is performing on his 4 string Harmony banjo. I believe this was a rag about your girl not as sweet as mine. They perform his song on the DVD video that's included with their audio CD. I really loved that tune specifically. This is one you'll want to hear. Rhiannon also interacts with him with humor and sarcasm and really entertains the audience. They have a real natural chemistry like brothers and sisters or friends that played together a whole lifetime. I call it old souls in young bodies.
Above: Dom on drums while Rhiannon plays a simple percussive rhythm and Justin imitates a fife melody line. They explain how this was such an integral part of African-American music and only survives in Mississippi and isolated regions. Not only are their explanations educational but they mix a lot of truth and humor into their presentation. Justin made some comments that cracked me up.
Above: Dom is really on fire with these clapper sticks in one hand and the jug in the other. He sounds like half a band over there. Seeing them live is in my opinion a much more rich experience than a recording.
Above and Below: The appreciative audience gave two standing ovations and I would estimate about 150 people in the auditorium total. They take a bow and then play one encore before the library began closing for the evening.
LEFT TO RIGHT BELOW: Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens, Justin Robinson
