For All He Gave, and For Giving His All

An in-depth tribute to one of the finest singers-songwriters-guitarists-producers of his time, JOE SOUTH, who died of a heart attack on September 5. He always said what he meant and meant what he said. Yeah!
by David McGee
 

 
 

Charles Ives Home Has Date With Wrecking Ball

Efforts to save the Redding, CT, home where composer CHARLES IVES lived and work appear to have failed, and developers may now raze the house, pave paradise and put up a parking lot. The Charles Ives Society continues to fight ...
by David McGee
 

 

 

You Can Get Anything You Want (including Alice) from Arlo This Month

ARLO GUTHRIE is delightfully omnipresent in November, with a PBS broadcast of his 50th anniversary 'Alice's Restaurant' show and a new children's book to boot.
by David McGee
 

 
 

Field Notes from a Music Biz Life (Part 1)

'No Brill Building, no me.' So begins Chapter 1 of MICHAEL SIGMAN's autobiography, FIELD NOTES FROM A MUSIC BIZ LIFE, previewed in serial form in Deep Roots.
by David McGee
 

 

 

What Comes After the Blues?: Considering Jason Molina

Ravaged by alcoholism, JASON MOLINA died at age 39. A question arises: Is there a 'teachable moment' in how his passing underscores the plight of those attempting to live by their art?
by David McGee
 

 
 

Gutless Vandals Desecrate Tommy Johnson’s Grave; Eddie C. Campbell Benefit Set

Gutless vandals desecrate Delta blues giant TOMMY JOHNSON's grave; benefit set for Chicago blues guitar great EDDIE C. CAMPBELL, who suffered a heart attack and stroke while on tour.
by David McGee
 

 

 

Video Moment of the Week

NU-BLU releases the third video from its tenth anniversary album, titled Ten. 'Without a Kiss,' a sensitive ballad addressed to a departed spouse, elicits one of Carolyn Routh's most affecting vocals.
by David McGee
 

 
 

The Elite Half Hundred of 2014 (Part 2)

THE 442s and FARMER JASON bookend Nos. 26-50 of the ELITE HALF HUNDRED OF 2014.
by David McGee
 

 

 

‘It is past time we wipe this stain of violence from our land’

REALITY CHECK--RFK on gun violence; Pete Seeger, 'Where Have All the Flowers Gone,' President Barack Obama on the Newtown school shootings
by David McGee
 

 
 

Serena Matthews Does ‘Moon River’

Deep Roots fave SERENA MATTHEWS kicked off the new year by sending us her distinctive take on Johnny Mercer's classic 'Moon River,' a beautiful version that brooks favorable comparison to Audrey Hepburn's original. You heard i...
by David McGee
 

 

 

Over There: When Americana Doesn’t Mean American

A Deep Roots Exclusive from John E. Simpson: an investigation into what makes Americana Americana when the artists performing it aren't American.
by David McGee
 

 
 

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