(headline image: Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson – Photo by Karen Cox)
Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson, former bandmates in the Carolina Chocolate Drops, reunite on the new instrumental single “Marching Jaybird.“ The track, featuring both musicians on banjo, is a tribute to guitarist and singer Etta Baker, whose work inspired their forthcoming album.
Recorded at Baker’s Morganton, North Carolina home, the session carried a personal touch. Baker’s son Edgar recalled that his mother’s “Carolina Breakdown” was captured outdoors, where a Carolina wren’s song became part of the recording. That serendipitous detail resonated with Giddens and Robinson, reinforcing their connection to Baker’s legacy. They recorded “Marching Jaybird” in Baker’s living room, with Edgar Baker in attendance.
The single is part of What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, scheduled for release April 18 on Nonesuch. Produced by Giddens and Joseph “joebass” DeJarnette, the album features eighteen traditional North Carolina tunes, including instrumental and vocal pieces. Many were passed down by their late mentor, Joe Thompson, a pivotal figure in the Black string band tradition. The recording process extended beyond studio walls. Sessions took place at Thompson’s home in Mebane, North Carolina, and the historic Mill Prong plantation. Nature itself became part of the album’s soundscape, as two rare broods of cicadas emerged together for the first time since 1803.
Following the album’s release, Giddens will host the Biscuits & Banjos Festival in Durham, North Carolina, from April 25-27. The sold-out event celebrates Black musical heritage and storytelling, culminating in a long-awaited Carolina Chocolate Drops reunion, their first in over a decade.
Author: World Music Central News Room
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