Black People with Banjos (and Fiddles and Guitars)

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Gotta write fast because I’m traveling to Savannah tomorrow, just enough time to tell you about the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Okay, so the name could be a bit minstrel-showish if you go there, but I ain’t goin’ there. The CCDs are reviving the black string band from back in the day, fiddles, banjos an all, and just listening to a couple of tunes has got me excited. If you like old timey type music, hit their site at myspace to listen to some samples ("Viper Mad" is already something I’m loving). For the full story, including how the banjo came from Africa, and how black people used to play stuff that sounds like something from the soundtrack to Deliverance, or O Brother Where Art Thou? read "Banjos, Kazoos, and Spoons, Oh My” at MSNBC.com. You can also get deeper African banjo history here.




And there’s always video




For Gothamites and surrounding tri-state denizens, the Chocolate Drops will be in New York, New York at Symphony Space on November 7.




In the meantime, I just passed by emusic.com and their album Dona Got a Ramblin' Mind is there for the sampling (you need to pay if you want the full songs; call me about the details).






Thanks go to Rick Petreycik for bringing the Chocolate Drops to my notice. Rick writes about music for American Legacy from time to time, his last piece being an article about the black harmonica player and Grand Old Opry star DeFord Bailey, his latest work-in-progress being an article on black string bands for a future issue.


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