Photo Credit is Sharon Alagna

According to JamBase, Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson have released a new version of “Marching Jaybird” by Etta Baker. This song will be featured in the duo’s upcoming collaborative album, What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow. The album is set to be released April 18, 2025.

The duo, along with other bandmates from Carolina Chocolate Drops, recorded part of the album at Baker’s home. Giddens spoke about recording at her home saying, “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.”

The official video features Baker’s home. It opens with the duo playing their banjos. The video is very casual. It shows clips of Giddens and Robinson speaking to Baker’s son, Edgar Baker, on the front porch. The video also shows details of Baker’s home, like flowers. A fan commented on the video saying, ” Oh my – this is so beautiful – I’ve listened to it three times straight. The two banjos resonating. plucked strings … I’m in tears. Every song that drops from this upcoming new album is like a pebble dropped in a lake, ripples flowing out and out and out. Thank you.” Fans are excited for the album to be released, especially with the release of this song.