Carolina Chocolate Drops

Carolina Chocolate Drops, as the name hints, is a string band comprising black players steeped in the tradition of Appalachian fiddle and banjo music, specifically that of (surprise!) the Carolinas. Mentored by 91-year-old fiddler Joe Thompson—supposedly the last living link to Piedmont folk’s heyday—the Drops’ approach is tinged with the kind of seriousness and authenticity that warms the hearts of the archivist-obsessives who form the core of old-time music fandom. But don’t get scared away if you don’t own an entire shelf of vintage shellac 78s. On 2010’s Grammy-winning full-length, Genuine Negro Jig, the North Carolina foursome took on plenty of traditional tunes, but also threw in more contemporary fare, like Blu Cantrell’s “Hit ’Em Up Style (Oops!).” And on 2012’s Leaving Eden, the band continues to possess a sound that straddles the line between the past and the present, evident on the beatbox-assisted “Ruby Are You Mad At Your Man?”

Updated 04/25/2012