Thursday, June 28, 2018
To Rhiannon Giddens last night at Babeville, possibly the best show I will see this year. If you accept the proposition that African-American music is the beating heart of American music, and that American music is one of our chief contributions to world culture than what to make of Ms Giddens is a difficult case to make without hyperbole. With the Carolina Chocolate Drops she blew life into the traditional string music of the Piedmont, which had looked picked dry. Advancing into the blues, and then into songwriting about the experience of American slavery right now what she seems to be doing is embracing all of African-American music, through jazz, torch songs, and beyond to the point where she is approaching becoming a genre unto herself.
It was particularly affirming to hear this music on a day where it felt like we may be losing America.
Ms Giddens has always been a charismatic performer, and in this also she has grown. Nice to see that she is still working with Hubby Jenkins, nice also that she is working with a crackerjack band, and that she is still very much the musical director, and that she seems to be having such a good time.
It was particularly affirming to hear this music on a day where it felt like we may be losing America.
Ms Giddens has always been a charismatic performer, and in this also she has grown. Nice to see that she is still working with Hubby Jenkins, nice also that she is working with a crackerjack band, and that she is still very much the musical director, and that she seems to be having such a good time.
// posted by Bill @ 9:48 AM 
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