By Kirk Greenwood
The Durham, NC-based, all African American string trio, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, is something of a rarity in contemporary bluegrass/folk circles. Their second release is a historically conscious, furiously fast-paced mix of all-instrumental tracks, traditional folk favorites, and imaginative reworkings of pop music standards. Genuine Negro Jig goes a long way toward popularizing the important, but heretofore little-known contributions that African American fiddlers have made to the distinctive sound of Appalachian mountain music.
