Carolina Chocolate Drops play Tampa Feb. 1

   The Carolina Chocolate Drops seemed to come out of nowhere when they caused a sensation with their 2010 album "Genuine Negro Jig." They went onto win the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album that year, and since then they've cemented a reputation for their mix of virtuosity, innovation and respect for musical tradition.
  

The Carolina Chocolate Drops

They'll be in Tampa Feb. 1 for a concert at Ferguson Hall at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts.
   They start with material culled from the Piedmont region of the Carolinas, and re-interpret it, highlighting the central role African-Americans played in shaping American popular music.
  Tickets are $24.50 plus service charge. Call 813-229-7827 or go to www.strazcenter.org.