Deep Roots Magazine

Deep Roots Magazine

Roots Music and Meaningful Matters

 
 

 
Pleasures Of Music

Contemporary Music

During a four-month concert tour of America in 1928, composer MAURICE RAVEL delivered a then-controversial lecture urging American classical musicians to incorporate African-American music into their compositions. Ahead of his ...
by David McGee
 
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Take A Letter

A Tortured Chronicle: Severn Documents Keats’s Last Days

As JOHN KEATS lay dying in 1821, he only companion was JOSEPH SEVERN, who in letters to the Keats circle chronicled the consumptive poet's torturous final days.
by David McGee
 
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Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

The Latest from Komako Sakai

As I’ve made clear before here at 7-Imp, I’m a fan of the illustration work of Komako Sakai (who even visited for a brief interview last year). So, I was happy to see that she’s illustrated a new book, this one written by...
by David McGee
 
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Features / News

Dancing Bears: la danse de l’ours

Dancing bears have been around since at least the Middle Ages. Sheer Folk blogger SERGIO RIBNKIKOV GUNNARSON has been studying the rather obscure history of these mammalian hoofers and herein reports on his findings.
by David McGee
 
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Gospel Feature

‘It Is the Sho’ ‘Nuff Truth’

JUDY CHEEKS, daughter of gospel giant REV. JULIUS CHEEKS of the Sensational Nightingales, has emigrated from the secular world to gospel with a powerful debut album. An exclusive interview follows.
by David McGee
 
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Spotlight Album

Leaving the Stillness of Peace in Its Wake

The first essential reissue of 2019, the French import ROBERTA MARTIN SINGERS: 1947-1962 charts the gold standard early years of this most influential African American mixed-voice gospel ensemble.
by David McGee
 
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Reviews

Those Mean Woman Blues

A stomping groove, a steely, slice-and-dice guitar attack and a growling vocal greet listeners to CHRIS LORD & CHEATIN' RIVER's CHUNKABILLY BLUES, and this Seattle-based power trio never lets up from there.
by David McGee
 
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Here Comes Summer

A Royal Sport

In 1907 JACK LONDON sailed to Hawaii in his ketch The Snark. His enthusiastic report on surfing, 'A ROYAL SPORT, rekindled interest in riding the waves in surfing's birthplace and launchied its modern era. Read it here.
by David McGee
 
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