album reviews

Carolina Chocolate Drops’ “Heritage” CD

By admin ⋅ June 10, 2008 ⋅ Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

The Carolina Chocolate Drops, an African-American old-time string band, got mojo that must be seen to be believed. Plugging in an electric guitar and making hopped-up kids scream is one thing, something a thousand rock ‘n’ rollers have done, but the Carolina Chocolate Drops can make a completely sober, seasoned, and slowly-graying audience go absolutely bonkers using only a dobro, a jug, and a kazoo. They’ve been winning converts in the United States, Canada, and Europe for only a few years, but their work to revive old-time string band music will be indelible.

Heritage, the CD that the ‘Drops released primarily for the European market but can be obtained easily from the Dixie Frog website, presents well what all the fuss is about. These recordings comprise a colorful and varied patchwork of live cuts and studio work spanning about eighteen months time; its tri-fold Digipack case and booklet, filled with essays, song notes, and beautiful color photography, will make you glad you’re still buying music you can hold in your hands.

One strength this record has over their 2005 Music Maker release, Dona Got a Ramblin’ Mind, is its range, which is considerably more broad and reaching. Journeying through it, the listener can ponder over Rhiannon Giddens’ free-verse poem which calls for African-American children to pick up guitars and banjos, experience Dom Flemon’s faithful renditions of century-old guitar stylings, and reflect on the folk wisdom Justin Robinson flavorfully serves up on “Cornbread and Butterbeans”. The individual talents of these three are spotlighted in a way that Dona did not attempt.

But the ‘Drops are most bracing, of course, when their individual talents meld into a single entity. “Georgie Buck”, their calling-card tune from the Dona LP, makes an repeat appearance here, but that’s okay, since this version has the fantastic mid-song “chk-chk. . . pow” rhythm break that makes the song so memorable when played live. The sad lullaby “Short Life of Trouble” gently rocks the mind’s cradle; conversely, “Jack O’ Diamonds”, pure punk in utero, throws melodicism out the window entirely. All in all, Heritage is a terrific record, and shows why the Carolina Chocolate Drop’s work is as important as it is exciting to listen to.

- Rawson Gordon