Carolina Chocolate Drops - Dona Got a Ramblin’ Mind

Reviewed by Steve Ramm

“Another great discovery this year was the Carolina Chocolate Drops. These three young African-American musicians, based in Raleigh/Durham,NC, joined up with 80-year old string band veteran Joe Thompson as their mentor and have produced some if the finest black string band music in years. Dona Got a Ramblin’ Mind is their current release. I’m even more impressed with the release they made before they met Thompson and were called the Sankofa Strings. Colored Aristocracy has them playing fiddles, guitars, banjos and a jug on such 78rpm standards as Noble Sissle’s “Viper Mad”, Clarence “Tom” Ashley’s “Little Sadie” and mentor Thompson’s “Black-Eyed Daisy”.  It’s like playing your old 78s but without the scratches. Search for “Carolina Chocolate Drops” on http://www.youtube.com and see for yourself. The CDs should be available from most outlets but if you order from the label, at http://www.musicmaker.org, the funds will go to the nonprofit organization helping needy older blues artists. “

Source: In The Groove Magazine