For the Carolina Chocolate Drops' Rhiannon Giddens and Dom Flemons, their music has been a sparse affair: a fiddle, a banjo, and vocals. But the results were tremendous. They garnered a Best Traditional Folk Grammy for their 2010 album Genuine Negro Jig.


Photo: CrackerFarm

For their just-released new album, Leaving Eden, they’ve fleshed out the sound by adding three new members—beat-boxer Adam Matta, guitarist/banjo player/singer Hubby Jenkins, and cellist Leyla McCalla—giving them a rich diversity in songs that lean more heavily on the blues and jazz than ever before.
 

With legendary Nashville producer Buddy Miller at the helm, Eden is the Drops’ most satisfying effort to date. Tracks like the hip-hop¬ laced “Country Girl” (Listen to  "Country Girl" here.) and the blues-heavy “No Man’s Mama” (an Ethel Waters track from the 1920s) bring a fresh element, alongside more familiar material like the jug-band “West End Blues.” Eden is the sound of a band both comfortable in its own skin but still itching to get out of it.

Listen to CCD's "Country Girl" here.

Inspired by Savile Row tailors, the Southern guys behind Ledbury Shirts create quality garments one spread collar at a time. A runner-up in last year's Made in the South Awards, Ledbury is a story of two Pauls, one from Virginia and one from Louisiana, who met in business school in London (Oxford, of course). Obsessed with high-end tailoring options across the pond, they found themselves increasingly disappointed by the lack of similar craftsmanship stateside. When the economic crisis derailed the finance jobs that seemed like their “safe” career paths post-business school, they decided to focus on their passion for menswear instead.

“For the better part of a year life went from crunching excel spreadsheets to measuring cuffs and collars,” they say. “And after countless attempts, we came up with a shirt that was not only a great fit and of the highest quality, but also added some innovation to the classic men’s design.” Now based in Richmond, VA, Ledbury is making a name for itself by letting the products do the talking.



As men's dress shirts go, Ledbury's offerings are an investment, but after road-testing the one picture here, I think it's worth the money. Here's why: The Italian cotton material and plaid design are great; the feel and colors are very rich. The construction is as nice as any shirt I own. The stitching is tight and specific. But the fit–that's what really sets a Ledbury shirt apart. I opted for a regular neck/sleeve measurement in the 'Slim Fit' cut, and it fits me like a glove. The collar sits a bit higher than most spread collar shirts–nice and regal looking. The armpits are high, giving it a leaner appearance. And the chest and waist are truly slim. Nothing mass-produce about these shirts–and it shows.



Visit them at their store in Richmond, or online.

Atlanta native Jay Sjoholm is the author of the Southern style blog Red Clay Soul

We were saddened to learn over the weekend of the passing of writer William Gay, who died at the age of 68 late last week.

 Photographer and G&G contributor Amy Dickerson spent the day with Gay and photographed him at his home in Tennessee in 2008. She shares her story of meeting the writer and some photos from that day:



“I met William through North Carolina writer Shari Smith. She loved his face, believed that every line of it was a story, and encouraged me to photograph him.  I met up with Alabama writers Joe Formichella and Suzanne Hudson in William’s home in Hohenwald, Tennessee—which means high forest in German.



William lived on a heavily wooded street. The house was simple, yet cozy—puppies and dogs running around the property, greeting me when I pulled into the driveway. My first thoughts were that he was a gentle, warm, and soft-spoken soul. His face full of stories and a sweet, quiet way about him. It was cold that day. He made me a cheese sandwich and talked with Suzanne and Joe. I liked that he was not interested in the public eye and lived the life he wanted in these woods, where he felt at home, in this, his high forest.



I feel lucky to have met William. He was, through the lens, what he was without it, a sensitive soul moving through the world with a humbleness that was genuine and free and right with the world.”

View the photos below, and for more on Gay’s life and work, follow this link to read a recent interview with the writer on LitReactor:
 

Photos by Amy Dickerson

Whether you’re hosting a viewing party for the Oscars, attending one, or just looking for something good to munch on this weekend, nothing beats Martha Foose’s bacon crackers as a simple snack. They’re unfussy, impossible to mess up, and they go with everything (though, like all leading actors, they can't help but stand out). One of our editors tops hers with pimento cheese (click here for a fantastic pimento cheese recipe) for next-level flavor, but they’re delicious all on their own–just bacon and crackers. Either way, we’re pretty sure Abilene and Minnie would approve.


Photo: Chris Granger

Bacon Crackers
Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients
3/4 pound (about 16 slices) thinly sliced bacon
42 Rectangular butter crackers (such as Club or Captain’s or Waverly)

Cooking Directions
Heat the oven to 250°F. Slice the bacon slices into thirds crosswise. Wrap each cracker with a piece of bacon, overlapping as little as possible. Place the wrapped crackers 1/2 inch apart on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Bake 1 1/2 hours or until the bacon constricts the center of each cracker and becomes crisp. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the crackers to cool on the rack before eating.