In case you were feeling like an overachiever, “Leyla McCalla is a New York-born Haitian-American living in New Orleans, who sings in French, Haitian Creole and English, and plays cello, tenor banjo and guitar,” according to her bio. She was also a member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops — which, while inarguably a force and a wonder of an acoustic collective during its short tenure — has found its members embarking on even more astonishing projects as solo artists.
Case in point, McCalla’s debut, Vari-Colored Songs: A Tribute to Langston Hughes. Firstly, just the concept is so good and, secondly, it was named Album of the Year by both the London Sunday Times and Songlines magazine. McCalla’s latest album, A Day For The Hunter, A Day For The Prey, came out last spring and includes contributions from fellow Carolina Chocolate Drops alumnus Rhiannon Giddens, among others.
McCalla performs at The Altamont Theatre on Wednesday, March 22, at 8 p.m. Local songstress Jane Kramer opens the show. $15 advance/$18 day of show/$20 VIP.
