Leaving Eden was released by Nonesuch on 28 February 2012 (catalog number 529809-2), the follow-up to the group’s 2010 album Genuine Negro Jig. Buddy Miller produced it, and it was recorded in 2011 at Miller’s home. David Bither was the executive producer, Mike Poole recorded and mixed it, and Bob Ludwig mastered it.
Justin Robinson had left the Carolina Chocolate Drops in early 2011, and the band that recorded the album was Rhiannon Giddens and Dom Flemons, the two remaining founders, with Hubby Jenkins and Adam Matta, who were announced as new members in February 2011. The cellist Leyla McCalla also played on the record. As credited, Giddens plays fiddle and banjos, including a five-string cello banjo and a gourd banjo; Flemons plays four-string banjo, guitar, bones, jug, quills and snare and bass drum; Jenkins plays five-string banjo, mandolin, guitar and bones; Matta adds beatboxing and tambourine; and McCalla plays cello.
The fifteen tracks mix traditional pieces, covers and originals. “Ruby, Are You Mad at Your Man?” is a Cousin Emmy song, here sung by Giddens over banjo, mandolin, bones and beatbox. “Run Mountain” is credited to J. E. Mainer, “West End Blues” to Etta Baker and Giddens, “Pretty Bird” to Hazel Dickens, and the title song to Laurelyn Dossett. “Country Girl” was written by Giddens, Lalenja Harrington and Adam Matta, and “Mahalla” is credited to Hannes Coetzee. The album reached number one on Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums chart and number 123 on the Billboard 200.
Tracklist
- 1 Riro's House 2:03
- 2 Kerr's Negro Jig 1:07
- 3 Ruby Are You Mad At Your Man alt version 3:46
- 4 Boodle-De-Bum-Bum 4:03
- 5 Country Girl 3:22
- 6 Run Mountain 2:01
- 7 Leaving Eden 4:36
- 8 Read 'Em John 1:54
- 9 Mahalla 1:54
- 10 West End Blues 3:02
- 11 Po' Black Sheep 3:21
- 12 I Truly Understand That You Love Another Man 2:34
- 13 No Man's Mama 4:00
- 14 Briggs' Corn Shucking Jig / Camptown Hornpipe 2:55
- 15 Pretty Bird 4:06
