The Murky Origins & Everlasting Life of ‘Jingle Bells’

In 1850 JAMES LORD PIERPONT, inspired by one-horse open-sleigh races in his home town, wrote a Thanksgiving ditty for his father's Sunday School class. Thus the humble origin of 'Jingle Bells.'
by David McGee
 

 
 

Ding Dong, Merrily On High, Indeed!

Returned to print by Real Gone Music, THE THREE SUNS' amazing 1959 seasonal effort, A DING DONG DANDY CHRISTMAS, is lounge exotica run amuck, a genuine Yuletide gem.
by David McGee
 

 

 

Christmas 1974: Santa (USPS) Brings the 1st Self-Adhesive Stamp

Those self-adhesive stamps we so love? Christmas 1974 brought the first of what were then considered experimental issues, featuring the Dove of Peace weathervane from George Washington's Mount Vernon home. Much trial-and-error ...
by David McGee
 

 
 

A Christmas Classic For A Nuclear Armageddon

The classic DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR, inspired by the Cuban Missile Crisis, was intended as 'a prayer for peace.' The story behind the story herein.
by David McGee
 

 

 

From Matt Monro With Love (and tears) on Valentine’s Day

Love songs of tears and joy for Valentine's Day and beyond, courtesy the late, great MATT MONRO, who was championed and produced by GEORGE MARTIN. A profile with music.
by David McGee
 

 
 

‘Dramatic, Exciting and Cool’

Now showing in selected cities across America, the riveting documentary PARTICLE FEVER chronicles the search for the elusive HIGGS BOSON, the 'God' particle that binds the universe together--a science story with a human touch.
by David McGee
 

 

 

The Power of a Song

GHANDI's inspiring Salt March of 1930 provides the inspiration for a powerful new album by CHANDRIKA KRISHNAMURTHY TANDON, who reimagines the 241-mile trek, which led to India's independence, for a new generation. Interview and...
by David McGee
 

 
 

Transcending Avant-Garde Boundaries

On the rediscovered gem Bílé Inferno, Czech artists Iva Bittová and Vladimír Václavek transcend the avant-garde with music emanating from physical and emotional ecosystems.
by David McGee
 

 

 

‘Tenor Hits From the Age of the Talkies’

Reigning tenor king JONAS KAUFFMAN assays a charming collection of songs from a special time in Germany's history, the era of Sally Bowles and the Kit Kat Club
by David McGee
 

 
 

Guitar Majesty

A set of delightfully evocative pieces for guitar duos composed by KEMAL BELEVI comprises a fine new album by DUO TANDEM, incisively reviewed by ROBERT HUGILL
by David McGee
 

 

 

A Walk Along Iceland’s Volcanic Rift

WALKING THE VOLCANIC RIFT: Iceland is literally tearing apart at a rate of one inch per year, separating the North American tectonic plate from the European plate and creating unparalleled landscapes.
by David McGee
 

 
 

The Paris of Berlioz and Liszt

Writing in 1837, acclaimed German poet HEINRICH HEINE filed a report on 'the two most remarkable phenomena in the contemporary musical world,' i.e., BERLIOZ and LISZT.
by David McGee