Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson have shared “Going to Raleigh” from their upcoming album What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow. Originally released in 1939 by western North Carolina string band The Carolina Playboys, this version (learned by Robinson from Evelyn Shaw) was recorded at the historic former plantation Mill Prong House & Preservation in Red Springs, NC, where they filmed a video as well. You can watch it here.
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Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson have shared “Going to Raleigh” from their upcoming album of North Carolina fiddle and banjo music What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, out April 18 on Nonesuch, available to pre-order here. Originally released in 1939 by western North Carolina string band The Carolina Playboys, this version (learned by Robinson from Evelyn Shaw) was recorded at the historic former plantation Mill Prong House & Preservation in Red Springs, NC. Giddens says, “Mill Prong is located on a complicated patch of land—once owned by an indigenous farmer subsequently kicked off the land, bought by Gaels (an oppressed population overseas) who then bought African Americans to work it—a microcosm of American history. ‘Going to Raleigh’ was recorded by a nearby stream that has seen it all.” You can watch the video, filmed at Mill Prong House, here:
Produced by Giddens and Joseph "joebass" DeJarnette, What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow finds Giddens and Robinson reuniting to play eighteen of their favorite North Carolina tunes: a mix of instrumentals and tunes with words. Many were learned from their late mentor, the legendary North Carolina Piedmont musician Joe Thompson, one of the last musicians of his era and his community to carry on the southern Black string band tradition; one song is from another musical hero, the late Etta Baker, from whom they also learned by listening to recordings of her playing. Giddens and Robinson recorded outdoors at Thompson’s and Baker’s North Carolina homes. They were accompanied by the sounds of nature, including a roaring chorus of cicadas, creating a unique soundscape. Watch the previously released videos for “Hook and Line” and “Marching Jaybird.”
In further tribute to Giddens’ North Carolina roots, What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow will arrive just a week before Biscuits & Banjos, the inaugural edition of her first festival. Taking place April 25–27 in downtown Durham and curated by Giddens, Biscuits & Banjos highlights the deep roots and enduring legacy of Black music, art, and culture while fostering community and storytelling. The sold-out festival will feature a much-anticipated Carolina Chocolate Drops reunion, their first performance together in more than a decade.
The full festival schedule will be unveiled on April 4 and include a robust offering of free, community programming and a Biscuit Trail activating local restaurants with biscuit-inspired cuisine, alongside musical performances and panel conversations with chefs, authors, artists and scholars alike. The full line up can be viewed now at biscuitsandbanjos.com/lineup.
Earlier this month, Giddens announced a number of new dates on her Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue tour–featuring Robinson and four other string musicians, including multi-instrumentalist Dirk Powell. On June 18 they will headline the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, joined by special guests Our Native Daughters—in their first performance since 2022–as well as Steve Martin, Ed Helms, and more. Additional shows in July have been added to the itinerary as well; see below for the full list and visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.
Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson Share 1939 String Band Tune “Going to Raleigh” From 'What Did The Blackbird Say to the Crow'
Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson have shared “Going to Raleigh” from their upcoming album of North Carolina fiddle and banjo music What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, out April 18 on Nonesuch, available to pre-order here. Originally released in 1939 by western North Carolina string band The Carolina Playboys, this version (learned by Robinson from Evelyn Shaw) was recorded at the historic former plantation Mill Prong House & Preservation in Red Springs, NC. Giddens says, “Mill Prong is located on a complicated patch of land—once owned by an indigenous farmer subsequently kicked off the land, bought by Gaels (an oppressed population overseas) who then bought African Americans to work it—a microcosm of American history. ‘Going to Raleigh’ was recorded by a nearby stream that has seen it all.” You can watch the video, filmed at Mill Prong House, here:
Produced by Giddens and Joseph "joebass" DeJarnette, What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow finds Giddens and Robinson reuniting to play eighteen of their favorite North Carolina tunes: a mix of instrumentals and tunes with words. Many were learned from their late mentor, the legendary North Carolina Piedmont musician Joe Thompson, one of the last musicians of his era and his community to carry on the southern Black string band tradition; one song is from another musical hero, the late Etta Baker, from whom they also learned by listening to recordings of her playing. Giddens and Robinson recorded outdoors at Thompson’s and Baker’s North Carolina homes. They were accompanied by the sounds of nature, including a roaring chorus of cicadas, creating a unique soundscape. Watch the previously released videos for “Hook and Line” and “Marching Jaybird.”
In further tribute to Giddens’ North Carolina roots, What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow will arrive just a week before Biscuits & Banjos, the inaugural edition of her first festival. Taking place April 25–27 in downtown Durham and curated by Giddens, Biscuits & Banjos highlights the deep roots and enduring legacy of Black music, art, and culture while fostering community and storytelling. The sold-out festival will feature a much-anticipated Carolina Chocolate Drops reunion, their first performance together in more than a decade.
The full festival schedule will be unveiled on April 4 and include a robust offering of free, community programming and a Biscuit Trail activating local restaurants with biscuit-inspired cuisine, alongside musical performances and panel conversations with chefs, authors, artists and scholars alike. The full line up can be viewed now at biscuitsandbanjos.com/lineup.
Earlier this month, Giddens announced a number of new dates on her Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue tour–featuring Robinson and four other string musicians, including multi-instrumentalist Dirk Powell. On June 18 they will headline the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, joined by special guests Our Native Daughters—in their first performance since 2022–as well as Steve Martin, Ed Helms, and more. Additional shows in July have been added to the itinerary as well; see below for the full list and visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.
Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson Share 1939 String Band Tune “Going to Raleigh” From 'What Did The Blackbird Say to the Crow'
Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson have shared “Going to Raleigh” from their upcoming album of North Carolina fiddle and banjo music What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, out April 18 on Nonesuch, available to pre-order here. Originally released in 1939 by western North Carolina string band The Carolina Playboys, this version (learned by Robinson from Evelyn Shaw) was recorded at the historic former plantation Mill Prong House & Preservation in Red Springs, NC. Giddens says, “Mill Prong is located on a complicated patch of land—once owned by an indigenous farmer subsequently kicked off the land, bought by Gaels (an oppressed population overseas) who then bought African Americans to work it—a microcosm of American history. ‘Going to Raleigh’ was recorded by a nearby stream that has seen it all.” You can watch the video, filmed at Mill Prong House, here:
Produced by Giddens and Joseph "joebass" DeJarnette, What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow finds Giddens and Robinson reuniting to play eighteen of their favorite North Carolina tunes: a mix of instrumentals and tunes with words. Many were learned from their late mentor, the legendary North Carolina Piedmont musician Joe Thompson, one of the last musicians of his era and his community to carry on the southern Black string band tradition; one song is from another musical hero, the late Etta Baker, from whom they also learned by listening to recordings of her playing. Giddens and Robinson recorded outdoors at Thompson’s and Baker’s North Carolina homes. They were accompanied by the sounds of nature, including a roaring chorus of cicadas, creating a unique soundscape. Watch the previously released videos for “Hook and Line” and “Marching Jaybird.”
In further tribute to Giddens’ North Carolina roots, What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow will arrive just a week before Biscuits & Banjos, the inaugural edition of her first festival. Taking place April 25–27 in downtown Durham and curated by Giddens, Biscuits & Banjos highlights the deep roots and enduring legacy of Black music, art, and culture while fostering community and storytelling. The sold-out festival will feature a much-anticipated Carolina Chocolate Drops reunion, their first performance together in more than a decade.
The full festival schedule will be unveiled on April 4 and include a robust offering of free, community programming and a Biscuit Trail activating local restaurants with biscuit-inspired cuisine, alongside musical performances and panel conversations with chefs, authors, artists and scholars alike. The full line up can be viewed now at biscuitsandbanjos.com/lineup.
Earlier this month, Giddens announced a number of new dates on her Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue tour–featuring Robinson and four other string musicians, including multi-instrumentalist Dirk Powell. On June 18 they will headline the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, joined by special guests Our Native Daughters—in their first performance since 2022–as well as Steve Martin, Ed Helms, and more. Additional shows in July have been added to the itinerary as well; see below for the full list and visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.
Grammy Award winner Molly Tuttle, who has just been nominated for Grammy Awards for Best Americana Album for her critically acclaimed album So Long Little Miss Sunshine and Best Americana Performance for the track “That’s Gonna Leave A Mark,” has announced a new tour for February: Molly x Marty: Guitars on Fire—The Cosmic Twang Tour, featuring the Molly Tuttle Trio with Marty Stuart & His Famous Superlatives, with shows in Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Tuttle's “The Highway Knows Tour,” supporting the Grammy-nominated So Long Little Miss Sunshine. The run concludes December 13 in San Francisco, with a stop at The Fonda in Los Angeles just before, on December 11.
Congratulations to all of the Nonesuch nominees for the 68th Grammy Awards: Molly Tuttle for Best Americana Album for So Long Little Miss Sunshine and Best Americana Performance for the album track "That's Gonna Leave a Mark," Alarm Will Sound for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for Donnacha Dennehy's Land of Winter, Donnacha Dennehy for Best Contemporary Classical Composition for Land of Winter, Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson for Best Folk Album for What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, Ambrose Akinmusire for Best Alternative Jazz Album for honey from a winter stone, Brad Mehldau for Alternative Jazz Album for Ride into the Sun, and Bob Mehr for Best Album Notes for Wilco's A Ghost Is Born (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition).
