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buggin

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:10 am

Old Crow Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 599 Location: JELLICO TN

I don't know if they have been talked about much on here or not but you guys need to check out the carolina chocalte drops... old time music.. they were on the PHC on june 23, 2007.

pittsyltucky

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:24 am

*Johnny* Joined: 15 Sep 2006 Posts: 4268 Location: Pigg River District, Pittsylvania County, Virginia

Yeah -- I remember getting off topic on a thread some time back and rambling on about the CCD's -- I think Rodge posted a picture or two and I put in a link to the YouTube of them doing Sourwood Mtn. at Mt. Airy a few years back. They're real good and worth seeing for sure. Brodank has the uncanny ability to find that kind of stuff -- perhaps he'll throw a link over to it below.

brodank

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:03 am

Guest Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 1656

pittsyltucky wrote:

Brodank has the uncanny ability to find that kind of stuff -- perhaps he'll throw a link over to it below.

.....you mean this?....

http://youtube.com/results?search_query=carolina+chocolate+drops&search=

pittsyltucky

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:32 am

*Johnny* Joined: 15 Sep 2006 Posts: 4268 Location: Pigg River District, Pittsylvania County, Virginia

well, yeah, that's good -- I was thinking more or less of the previous thread that covered the CCD's and had Rodge's pictures, but the YouTube archive for the CCD's is wholly sufficient.

cholla76

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:22 pm

Raisin' a Ruckus Joined: 26 Oct 2005 Posts: 133

I know I am anxious to see them perform in Bristol this September!
http://www.bristolrhythm.com/performers.php

MikeyOutToSea

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 2:26 pm

Old Crow Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 603 Location: Nashvegas, TN

such an amazing band. such a grasp on old timey music. They're authentic as they come in my book.

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brodank

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 2:38 pm

Guest Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 1656

dont forget to mention WHY they are soooo good.....................................
cuz they is from carolina

carolina_gurl

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 3:06 pm

Lil' Birdie Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 34 Location: North Carolina

[quote="brodank"]

pittsyltucky wrote:

Brodank has the uncanny ability to find that kind of stuff -- perhaps he'll throw a link over to it below.

.....you mean this?....

Nice! I love em already and I just watched that one clip. Love the name too, perfect. And true, true why they are so good....North Cackalacki representin'

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So long tell my troubles to the wind...

Kitty

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:33 pm

*Mrs. Kitty* Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 2344 Location: Durham, NC

brodank wrote:

dont forget to mention WHY they are soooo good.....................................
cuz they is from carolina

Amen Brother!! There was a scattered thread here somewhere about CCD. I have seen them a couple of times.... the best being at Hideaway BBQ in Raleigh (Libby's been there!) and also outside a grocery store for a weekday concert in Carborro. I mean, you just can't beat a guy playin' rib bones AND blowin' on a jug!

ozarkbilly

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:58 pm

Charlie Joined: 04 Apr 2007 Posts: 866 Location: MO Ozarks

love CCD, both because of the fiiiine tunes and also because Rhiannon is so easy on the eyes...
I'm already looking forward to headin' down an hour south of me to the beeee-ewe-tee-full hills & hollers around Eureka Springs AR on Oct 12 to check 'em out at the Ozark Folk Festival. Ozarks in the fall, ain't nothin prettier....

brodank

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 8:17 am

Guest Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 1656

ozarkbilly wrote:

Ozark Folk Festival. Ozarks in the fall, ain't nothin prettier....

boy you can say that again!

m311ton

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 3:52 pm

Old Crow Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 421 Location: Missouri

I just gave these guys a listen, and I love it. Both OCMS and CCD are playing at Floyd Fest aren't they?

ozarkbilly

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 5:28 pm

Charlie Joined: 04 Apr 2007 Posts: 866 Location: MO Ozarks

No OCMS at Floydfest, but CCD is there. Some others who are allso appearing that I would LOVE to see are the Hackensaw Boys, Langhorne Slim, & Bombadil.

DeanRogers

Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 12:07 pm

Charlie Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 896 Location: Ocean City, MD

CCD is coming to my area on Nov. 2, they are playing in Martinsville, VA at the artisan cafe, which I believe is at Patrick Henry Community College. http://www.artisan-cafe.net/ for info. This will be the 1st time for me to get out and see the CCD I hope a couple of you will join me.

And for those of you who dont have to pick your wife up from work tonight, there is a free CCD show in Durham tonight, Friday the 5th from 6-8, American Tobacco Historic District, concerts on the lawn or something, here is a link with directions and info. http://www.americantobaccohistoricdistrict.com/

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pittsyltucky

Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2007 8:48 pm

*Johnny* Joined: 15 Sep 2006 Posts: 4268 Location: Pigg River District, Pittsylvania County, Virginia

hey dean -- i'll likely come out to the farm that weekend and go see the CCDs with ya. Meant to call you this weekend but I had a lot of work to get done...

DeanRogers

Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2007 7:05 am

Charlie Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 896 Location: Ocean City, MD

I was gonna hit you up too, my new # is coming to you in a PM. You gotta come out soon and party before it gets cold.

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pittsyltucky

Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2007 1:48 pm

*Johnny* Joined: 15 Sep 2006 Posts: 4268 Location: Pigg River District, Pittsylvania County, Virginia

Oh but it's so much better in the cool evenings -- i've got about ten different burn piles ready to go. Nothing like sipping shine and tending to fires into the wee hours...

foxontherun

Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2007 4:18 pm

*Call Me Foxxxy If'n Ya Nasty* Joined: 18 Dec 2004 Posts: 1079 Location: Lynchburg, VA USA

yea, im so there

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DeanRogers

Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2007 4:31 pm

Charlie Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 896 Location: Ocean City, MD

Fox, We can hook up before the show at Pittsys or My place both are 5 minutes from one another and 20 minutes to PHCC. Chill at our place for a spell, I always hate driving an hour or more and running right in the show, its so much nicer to eat drink and be merry before the show, P. Tucky and I had some awesome preshow pizza and were able to relax for a bit before showtime out in Boone a few months back. If you guys wanna I can hook us up with some grilled vittles before the CCD show. Fill the fridge with some brews. Either my wife or myself, likely me, will be sober skipper so take advantage if ya wanna.

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Outdoors is the NEW Internet!!!!!!

DeanRogers

Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 8:01 pm

Charlie Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 896 Location: Ocean City, MD

I made it out to see the CCD last evening. It was halfway through the show when we arrived (work worn wifey and sleepy 8 year old) The people up front let us in for free. The set break was happening as I walked in. Full house, all ages, mostly 40's and 50's I would guess though. They really put on a great show and before long they had the whole audience involved. I forgot my camera so no video, sorry. I have about a 12 minute memory so I forget most of the songs I heard. I was impressed with their musical ability and cannot wait to see them again...video camera in hand. I was able to speak to Rhiannon after the show(not sure what is more beautiful her voice or Her) and got to hold her wild Dragon Fiddle.

Martinsville is gonna be a nice lil spot to see shows it looks like. The fellow who put it on, Doug Williams and Telisha I belive their names are, are planning quarterly concerts, August they sold out Darrell Scott. I am gonna email them and request the Hackensaws next quarter. Venue appeared to hold 200 or 300 people, very intimate setting for sure.

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DeanRogers

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 12:32 pm

Charlie Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 896 Location: Ocean City, MD

Tuesday, November 20th - It's The Carolina Chocolate Drops live on WNCW's Tower of Song! Listen online 9:00 pm Eastern

<a href="http://www.wncw.org" target="_blank" class="postlink">WNCW</a>.

I am lovin this station, thank you Kitty.

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Kitty

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:59 pm

*Mrs. Kitty* Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 2344 Location: Durham, NC

HA! I saw this topic pop up with a new message and heard earlier today that they were going to be on tower of song... and my first thought was "who stole my thunder!" Laughing

Glad you are enjoying the station DeanRogers!!! I can't wait to listen to this show tonight! They played one song on the radio today, and I was all hyped up and 9pm can not get here fast enough!

DeanRogers

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 3:07 pm

Charlie Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 896 Location: Ocean City, MD

I was telling my son he had to stay up till 9 tonight when "sourwood mountain" came on the regular programming today, that was real cool. After only hearing crap radio so often it is refreshing to have a good option. WNCW is right on time.

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Outdoors is the NEW Internet!!!!!!

greasy-coat

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:45 pm

Old Crow Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 619

I've seen the Chocolate Drops a bunch. .. has anyone else noticed that Rhiannon and Dom don't get along? Not only that but they don't get along on stage?

I love the band and I love their sound.. .. but they gotta get that sewed up!

I love all the old timey tunes they do and the Joe Thompson influence (although if they are going to call him their mentor I feel like they should use more of his style and not just his name) but my favorite tune they are doing these days is 'Hit 'em Up Style'.

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grease out.

pittsyltucky

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 6:04 pm

*Johnny* Joined: 15 Sep 2006 Posts: 4268 Location: Pigg River District, Pittsylvania County, Virginia

That was very entertaining when I heard it, greasy... it's amazing how many different styles end up sounding GREAT when translated into string music. I like Starry Crown and Sourwood Mountain the best out of their stuff. Last time I saw them Dom played Robert Wilkins' Police Sergeant Blues and that was real good.

Kitty

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 8:55 pm

*Mrs. Kitty* Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 2344 Location: Durham, NC

Ya... I think it was yesterday morning I heard a clip of Sugarland covering Beyonce's Irreplaceable... it was pretty interesting and reminded me of CCDs
Hit 'em Up.

TommyDinBCNV

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 11:37 pm

Tearin' it Down Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 159 Location: Boulder City, NV

I missed CCD, but I love the station! Thanks Kitty! Other than Country Chuck's show, radio here basically sucks. For every crappy station, there is another one just like it that plays the exact same crap. One time I heard the same song on three stations at the exact same time.

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" We're still passionate about what we do, and it's still a thrill to play. I'm glad that we've done it on our own, beholden to nobody else but greatly in debt to many - most of whom are musicians who have helped move us along."-Ketch Secor

GumboStu

Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:47 pm

*Irish Stew* Joined: 03 Oct 2007 Posts: 3666 Location: Joe's Cornfield

TommyDinBCNV wrote:

One time I heard the same song on three stations at the exact same time.

you really get into the research, hey Tommy! Laughing

Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:24 pm

*Data Miner* Joined: 30 Jun 2007 Posts: 3427

Carolina Chocolate Drops provide rare, sweet treat
By Brian Baker, November 2007

Dom Flemons is an accomplished musician, well versed in the signatures and nuances of all of the genres that he has played professionally throughout his career. Two years ago, Flemons channeled all of his experience and knowledge into his explorations of bluegrass music, joining with like-minded friends Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson to form the acclaimed and highly skilled string band/old time/bluegrass-based Carolina Chocolate Drops.

The trio's instrumental virtuosity and inherent sense of historical perspective are displayed brilliantly on their debut album, "Dona Got a Ramblin' Mind."

Mentored by fiddle master Joe Thompson, the Drops cover a wide variety of bluegrass obscurities with traditional expertise and contemporary abandon, infusing songs from the earliest part of the last century with a modern, yet completely appropriate vibrancy.

Given that we're nearly five decades past the opening volleys of the civil rights movement, the fact that the Carolina Chocolate Drops are a group of African American musicians should not be among their most striking characteristics.

It is, in fact, the obvious lack of black musicians in the bluegrass field that makes the Drops so distinctively different. And it is their technical proficiency, intuitive talent and pure passion for the music that makes them an integral part of bluegrass music's long and illustrious lineage in general and an almost solitary entity in enlightening music fans to the history of the black string-band tradition specifically.

"We all have different stories, but the basic skeleton is the same, that we had an interest that grew out of this music, not knowing particularly that there was a black contingency for it or that it was strong in the black community," says Flemons from the Drops's Berea, Ky. tour stop.

"Most black people don't do a lot of this music because there's no context for it. A black kid growing up doesn't see a black person playing a banjo or a guitar, and a lot of major black recording artists don't play instruments, not out front performing. We all were just kind of odd ducks in our little ponds, playing the music in the communities that we enjoyed."

The Drops form a formidable trio because of the strength of the band's individual talents. Arizona native Flemons - the band's multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, harmonica, banjo, snare drum, jug and kazoo - was schooled in various styles, playing rock, funk and jazz before branching out into bluegrass, folk and country areas and working out his chops as a street corner busker and coffeehouse denizen.

"I played solo for about six years," says Flemons. "I played rock and roll and pop, and I did a lot of writing of songs. I played Dylan and Cat Stevens and Leonard Cohen and Van Morrison, all over the place. Then, I got into older blues, that ended up really catching me. Then, I got into the songster blues, people like Henry Thomas and Mance Lipscomb and Furry Lewis. When I first encountered the string band music Joe was putting down, I felt a kinship to it by this other music that I'd been interested in on my own."

Fiddler/banjoist Giddens grew up in South Carolina in a familial atmosphere of bluegrass, blues and jazz, which ultimately led her to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, but upon her return she was immediately drawn back to the traditional sounds of her upbringing.

Fellow Carolinian Robinson had an even more eclectic home life; his mother was a classically trained opera singer. His sister played classical piano, and his grandfather was an accomplished harmonica player. Robinson played classical violin until he was 13; it has only been in recent years that the fiddler and aspiring banjo player has explored the possibilities of old time traditional music.

The Drops came together a scant two years ago when the trio attended the Black Banjo Gathering in Boone, N.C. Giddens, one of the festival's volunteer organizers, met Flemons and Robinson separately at the event - Flemons attending on the advice of friend Sule Greg Wilson and Robinson there to meet and learn from Thompson, the now-90-year-old fiddler and one of the last direct links to black string band traditions.

Robinson struck up a friendship with Thompson and began visiting him at his home in Mebane, while Giddens headed out to Phoenix where she, Flemons and Wilson formed a band called Sankofa Strings, which gigged around Phoenix and recorded an album of blues/jazz tunes, "Colored Aristocracy."

"The Black Banjo Gathering, that was ground zero," says Flemons. "A lot of things opened up there, and that's where we started seeing that we could give a good name to music that has historically given the shaft."

Eventually, Flemons decided to return to North Carolina with Giddens, swayed by the atmosphere he had experienced at the Gathering. Giddens introduced Flemons to Robinson, who by this time had enlisted Giddens to play banjo with he and Thompson while Robinson was absorbing Thompson's fiddle technique.

Through this roundabout series of events, Flemons, Giddens and Robinson began playing together, both with Thompson and on their own.

"We got our hands on a copy of a movie called 'Louis Bluie', about a fellow named Howard Armstrong who played fiddle and mandolin from the late '20s on," says Flemons. "He had a group with his brothers early on called the Tennessee Chocolate Drops, and Rhiannon up and said, 'Well, why don't we call ourselves the Carolina Chocolate Drops?'"

With the thought of amplifying the Piedmont style with their performance and aiming toward the prestigious festival circuit, the Carolina Chocolate Drops began rehearsing in earnest.

Beginning with the Mt. Airy Fiddlers Convention, the Drops have captivated every audience they've entertained, from the Folk Alliance Festival to Merlefest to the Newport Folk Festival. The Drops have already done three successful circuits of Canada in the past year and a half and will add a European tour to their resume next spring.

In the midst of their relentless touring/festival-going, the Drops recorded their debut, "Dona Got a Ramblin' Mind."

A mix of traditional tunes that the trio has picked up themselves over the years on and rearranged to suit their current style (including "Dixie," "Tom Dula" and "Sourwood Mountain") as well as old time songs they learned from Thompson (from "Georgie Buck" to "Black Annie" to the title track), "Dona Got a Ramblin' Mind" offers an amazing glimpse into the black string band heritage with a reverence for the style's roots and an energetic ear for bringing the style into the present tense without losing its original flavor.

The album came about more by virtue of economic necessity than artistic desire.

"We were doing a lot of school shows at the time, and we needed something to sell," says Flemons. "We jumped into the studio one day after a school show and cut all the tunes in a take or two then we mixed it the next day. We weren't expecting 'Dona Got a Ramblin' Mind' to go as far as it has gone so far. We've just been amazed by it."

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of the album at this juncture in the band's short history is the positive reception that it's generated, considering that it represents the Drops in a very early mindset. Flemons is quick to note that the trio plays all of the material on the CD with much greater proficiency now but that it remains an accurate representation of the band's skill and passion.

"It's nice to know that we have something that's representative enough to have people come out, and we're not hanging our heads in shame," says Flemons with a laugh.

A good many groups have started down this path of discovery and interpretation of songs gone by, only to abandon it in favor of writing their own songs in a similar style.

Although Flemons admits that he and the Drops have written a handful of originals (he's released a solo album of his own compositions), he says that the band is more than content to uncover and disseminate musical nuggets from the past than to try to create their own from that inspiration. The fact is that the Drops are examining so many obscure sources for their material that the songs, unheard for years by the wider public, almost play like new tunes.

"It's amazing what's gone down," says Flemons. "I'm a big fan of the music that American culture has produced. If I never wrote another tune, I'd be okay for material. I wouldn't need it because there's so much out there. Even taking the same forms and changing verses or making it fit a modern context, that may be the way to go. A lot of bands will start out in old time music, and then they'll start writing songs, and that's the end of them. They start doing original material, and all of a sudden, it becomes a battle of 'How good is their original material compared to the old time stuff?' That shouldn't be the case but that's what ends up happening. It's a real sensitive area. If we have tunes that we've written that we approve of, then we'll start putting those out there. For now, interpreting old tunes and redesigning and rearranging them has been fine."

The Carolina Chocolate Drops have seen their profile rise exponentially over the past few months, especially since the official release of "Dona Got a Ramblin' Mind" on the Music Maker Relief Foundation label.

Back in September, the Drops joined Thompson on stage at the National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship awards ceremony where he was honored with the fellowship, the highest accolade in folk and traditional arts. Given the importance being placed on the cultural aspects of this music, Flemons says he and the Drops recognize and yet try not to overemphasize the responsibility that they all share in bringing it into the light.

"It's mind blowing to think we're young blacks that are picking up on Joe's tradition, and he's the last in his family, and if he'd passed at any point before we had come along, his family tradition would be done," says Flemons.

"But at the same time, it's casual. We can make the music very easily. The hardest things we've been finding culturally and personally have been trying to adjust from being a local band to being a full time band and getting the business and the taxes and the medical and whatnot together. The actual music making is easy. If you sit us down and we started playing, that's easiest part of the whole thing."

Perhaps the rise of the Carolina Chocolate Drops is signaling a paradigm shift of changing attitudes within the African American community toward a style of music that was once closely associated with the black population, but hasn't been for quite some time.

Although the Drops don't necessarily see themselves as the musical advance guard of some new cultural upheaval, they do feel as though they have some philosophical responsibilities to both black and white listeners. The trio feels the need to do some outreach within the black community to expose them to this kind of music - their school shows are just one part of this facet of paying forward the legacy they've absorbed from Thompson - and there's a similar push to make sure that all fans understand the vital importance of black musicians in the earliest development of this branch of bluegrass.

"Like anything in the black community, it's very hard to get people out," says Flemons. "Culturally, I think more black people are feeling okay to look into some of this music because they're either so far away from it contextually that it becomes a new thing to them, or they're people like us, odd ducks in their own pond, and they want to find an interest in music that's not black music per se, but just music that they enjoy."

"I think it's going to be several years before we have all black audiences or a lot of black people coming out. But we go into schools - sometimes we do all black schools, sometimes we do mixed schools - and the kids are interested. Younger kids don't care what you're playing, as long as they can enjoy it, that's fine."

"Also, socially, black music is going back to square dancing, or a lot of elements similar to square dancing, with calling and formalized dancing in groups. There's a dance called the Crank Up Soldier Boy that the kids all know. We can get volunteers up on stage, and we can get the whole auditorium to sing the 'Soldier Boy' song, and the kids know the dance. Different towns have regional differences, and it's a whole other folk culture that's growing out of hip hop culture, and I think it's going to collide at some point, when kids say, 'I can take instruments and do this.'"

And maybe it's not a black/white thing at all, merely a pendulum swing back to a simpler type of music played with mastery and love. "We're seeing people in general be more interested in acoustic and roots and old time music, whatever you want to call it; music that's more organically built," says Flemons.

"The fact that we can be a part of it is a wonderful thing. Culturally, just seeing where America's mindset and tastes are changing, and we're there. A lot of people spend a lot of time talking about how we're a young black band reviving black music. Some articles pick up on that, besides all that, we're a good band. We're not worrying about the hype catching up with us because all we've got to do is put down a solid set, and then people take away whatever they want from it."

_________________
Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's life. --Phil Ochs

ozarkbilly

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 3:05 pm

Charlie Joined: 04 Apr 2007 Posts: 866 Location: MO Ozarks

CCD is allowed on the Live Music Archive as of 04/20. Right on!

On April 20, 2008 permission was granted for the LMA

"I give you the okay. Put up whatever you've got.
Just send me the link to it.

Dom Flemons"

All times are GMT - 6 Hours

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