Odds are poor that you can go out at night and hear the same band play tunes by both Grandpa Jones and Blu Cantrell.

The estimated 280 people at Jefferson Center on Wednesday night got doses of both artists and more, courtesy of the Carolina Chocolate Drops.

The three-member Carolina Piedmont string band played a show laced with history lessons — reminding listeners of the multicultural roots of American country and bluegrass music, showing that black musicians’ contributions aren’t strictly in soul, blues and jazz. They played several tunes learned from their mentor, Joe Thompson, an 87-year-old fiddle player.

Don Flemons was a wild man on banjo and resonator guitar, introducing the rag “There’ll be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight” as the theme song for Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, of Spanish-American War fame. Later, Flemons would strap on a snare drum for some percolating, stuttery brush work, and on several occasions showed his mastery with the bones, twirling around while clicking the hand-percussion instruments to accompany the rest of the band.

Banjo/fiddle man Justin Robinson told the crowd that he was a fan of the old TV show “Hee Haw,” and particularly of Grandpa Jones, then introduced the Jones clawhammer-banjo workout, “Old Rattler.”

Rhiannon Giddens’ voice rang high and smooth throughout the night. But her highlight came on the Daniel Emmett song, “The Genuine Negro Rag.” As Robinson pounded out a Philadelphia “wall of sound” groove by slapping his thighs and stomping his feet, and Flemons shook the bones, Giddens’ fiddle magically transformed into a violin, as she bowed a mysterious, Egyptian-sounding melody. She had told the crowd that the band got the song in York, Pa., played by a friend of theirs who is transcribing works by Emmett, who is credited with writing “Dixie.”

Before the night was over, Giddens would turn from Piedmont yowler to soul siren, singing Blu Cantrell’s 2001 hit, “Hit ’Em Up Style,” encouraging women to take revenge on cheating men by snagging their credit cards and hitting the shops.

This band is hot at the moment, and they deserve the concert (Merlefest) and movie appearances ("The Great Debaters") that they’re getting. Robinson told the crowd the band would be playing June 21 at Sun Music Hall in Floyd.