Deep Roots Magazine

Deep Roots Magazine

Roots Music and Meaningful Matters

 
 

 

Of Dark Hearts and Lethal Consequences

The Earl Brothers are back with their dark-hearted bluegrass--like no other bluegrass known to humankind--on Outlaw Hillbilly. Our Album of the Week selection chronicles the Bay Area band's continuing crafting of one of the mos...
by David McGee
 

 
 

The Big Land

Ever more ambitious, ALISON BROWN returns with THE SONG OF THE BANJO, with KEB' MO outstanding on 'What's Going On,' and our reviewer likening the instrumental portions to Smetana's 'The Moldau.' Really.
by David McGee
 

 

 

Ever Fresh: A Half-Century of ‘Green Onions’

In honor of the 50th anniversary of ‘Green Onions,’ we salute BOOKER T. & THE M.G.s’ reissued debut album of the same name, along with the group’s reissued-remastered 1970 Beatles tribute, McLemore Avenue, all-instrumen...
by David McGee
 

 
 

Otherworldly Sensations of Time and Space

A COSMIC RHYTHM WITH EACH STROKE, by VIJAY IYER and WADADA LEO SMITH, is grounded in human feeling and promises to stand the test of time.
by David McGee
 

 

 

Alive, Authentic and Profoundly Human

This week's ALBUM OF THE WEEK is 'Brothers in Bamako,' a ttansAtlantic union of souls between modern day griots Habib Koité, of Mali, and the veteran New York City-born folksinger Eric Bibb. Their song is 'alive, authentic and...
by David McGee
 

 
 

Considering Historical Conflict & Conflicted History

JASON RINGENBERG offers a reckoning with history on his 18th solo album, RHINESTONED, featuring the Freedom Riders, Crazy Horse, Jesus Christ and, in spirit, Hank Williams, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, the Carter Family and T...
by David McGee
 

 

 

Always The Winning Hand

Ever-prolific AL BASILE returns with arguably his strongest effort yet, LAST HAND, a musical radio play concerning a May-to-December romance between an older man and a younger woman. Don't give away the ending.
by David McGee
 

 
 

Keep on Pushin’

On CANVAS, NATALIE MACMASTER and DONNELL LEAHY, a true musical power couple, continue stretching stylistic boundaries in surprising ways. O, Canada!
by David McGee