The Carolina Chocolate Drops' Nonesuch debut, Genuine Negro Jig, is set for release in the UK this Monday, January 25, one day before the band launches the UK leg of its current tour. The US release has now moved up one week, to February 16. The Times of London gives the album four stars, as does the Guardian, saying the band is "sounding as fresh and enthusiastic as ever ... They are well worth checking out."
The Carolina Chocolate Drops' Nonesuch debut, Genuine Negro Jig, is set for release in the UK this Monday, January 25, just one day before the band launches the UK leg of its current tour, performing at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall as part of the Celtic Connections festival. With two more US dates for the trio this weekend, both in Massachusetts, the Nonesuch Journal is pleased to report that the US release of Genuine Negro Jig has moved up one week, to February 16.
The forthcoming album is currently available for pre-order in the US through the Nonesuch Store, where orders include the album on CD and as high-quality MP3s, plus a full seven Nonesuch Store-exclusive bonus tracks recorded live. For a complete list of the tracks and to pre-order the album now, click here.
---
Back in the UK, the Times gives Genuine Negro Jig four stars, calling it "impressive." The Guardian gives it four stars as well. with reviewer Robin Denselow saying the band is "sounding as fresh and enthusiastic as ever." As committed as these three musicians remain to acknowledging the black roots of the centuries-old banjo and fiddle music they perform, they have been, from the start, much more than a novelty act, says Denselow, as "the strength of their playing and singing showed that they meant business." True as that was in their earlier work, he insists, "If anything, this set is even better and is certainly more varied." He concludes: "They are well worth checking out." Read the complete review at guardian.co.uk.
---
The Irish Times gives Genuine Negro Jig four stars as well. Reviewer Joe Breen calls it "a fascinating record, and entertaining to boot." Breen finds that even on traditional tracks that might have led others astray, here they are presented with "a foot-stomping intensity that steers a rewarding path between novelty and academic research." The same can be said for the band's take on the contemporary tune "Hit 'Em Up Style," which, writes Breen, "shouldn’t work but does with a vengeance, as do the instrumentals, such as the title track." Read the review at irishtimes.com.
- Log in to post comments
