Deep Roots Magazine

Deep Roots Magazine

Roots Music and Meaningful Matters

 
 

 

‘Once in Royal David’s City’

The journey of 'Once in Royal David's City' from an 1848 text to global processional hymn.
by David McGee
 

 
 

The ‘Quiet Ecstasy’ of Harry Simeone’s ‘Little Drummer Boy’

The story behind THE HARRY SIMEONE CHORALE's classic 'THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY' begins in 1941 with KATHERINE KENNICOTT DAVIS'S 'CAROL OF THE DRUM' and includes a classic Christmas album featuring the oft-covered seasonal favorite.
by David McGee
 

 

 

Pt. 2: ‘God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen’ and The Dickens Connection

Ever wonder what is the Christmas carol of Dickens's 'A Christmas Carol'? Evidence points to 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' as the carol in question. We make our case herein.
by David McGee
 

 
 

Christmas Beyond the Blue

BLUES, BLUES CHRISTMAS VOLUME 3 leads this revised and updated review of four essential blues Christmas albums, including last year's DEATH MIGHT BE YOUR SANTA CLAUS
by David McGee
 

 

 

Sometimes a Great Notion…

How a Goodyear Tire promotional ploy begat an essential Christmas music franchise of 16 years' duration.
by David McGee
 

 
 

Baby, It’s Hot in Here!

A vintage pick from 2009: The HOT CLUB OF SAN FRANCISCO in various configurations performing unique and often witty transformations of Yule classics.
by David McGee
 

 

 

‘You’ll Go Down In History’—And How

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen… But do you know the real-life tragedy that spurred Robert May to write a poem for his four-year-old daughter that became a cultural and multimedia phenomenon? Rudolph takes fl...
by David McGee
 

 
 

Christmas Stocking Stuffers 2022

DARYL MOSLEY offers a rustic 'An Old-Fashioned Christmas' and gospel artists ANTHONY FAULKNER and THE WARDLAW BROTHERS bring forth uplifting Yule messages.
by David McGee
 

 

 

Everything Old Is New Again

On CHRISTMAS, the platinum-plus Australian Christian artist PETER FURLER teams with Vintage Christmas aficionado DAVID IAN for a soothing, introspective, jazz-based seasonal rumination.
by David McGee