Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson Beautifully Reimagine Etta Baker’s ‘Marching Jaybird’
“…sitting in her living room and recording this piece we learned from her playing, was pretty profound.” – Rhiannon Giddens
By Nate Todd Mar 5, 2025 • 11:53 am PST
Photo by Karen Cox
Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson continue to preview their upcoming collaborative album with a cover of pioneering guitarist and singer-songwriter Etta Baker’s “Marching Jaybird.” The track is set to land on What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, arriving on April 18 via Nonesuch Records.
Etta Baker’s house was among the locations Carolina Chocolate Drops bandmates Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson recorded What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow. While there, Etta’s son Edgar Baker mentioned that his late mother recorded “Carolina Breakdown” in her yard, with accompaniment from a Carolina wren.
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“Carolina Breakdown” happened to be the inspiration for What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow’s utilization of nature sounds, including birds and “two different broods of cicadas, which had not emerged simultaneously since 1803, creating a true once-in-a-lifetime soundscape,” as per press materials for the LP.
While much of the album was captured outside, Giddens and Robinson, both on banjo, recorded/filmed “Marching Jaybird” in Etta Baker’s living room with Edgar on hand for the performance.
“This was a magical moment for Justin and me,” Giddens said. “Walking into Etta Baker’s house, which is frozen in time, looking just like it did when she was alive, very much reminded us of women in our families; sitting in her living room and recording this piece we learned from her playing, was pretty profound.”
Watch Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson perform “Marching Jaybird” below:
Robinson and Giddens will bring Carolina Chocolate Drops back together for a performance at the latter’s Biscuits & Banjos Festival taking place April 25 – 27 in Durham, North Carolina, which will also see performances from Taj Mahal, Christian McBride and more. Robinson will also join Giddens’ Old-Time Revue Tour, which gets underway on April 30 in Asheville, North Carolina, and recently added a date at the Hollywood Bowl, which will see the first Our Native Daughters performance since 2022.
Scroll down for Rhiannon Giddens’ full tour routing and ticket info.
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