coventry carol

Coventry Carol (Lully, lullay): Twists and Turns

The ancient origins and twists and turns in the evolution of 'COVENTRY CAROL (Lully, lullay)," one of the most plaintive of sacred seasonal songs
by David McGee
 

 
 
setzer rockin rudolph

The Man With All the Toys

BRIAN SETZER and his ORCHESTRA return for his sixth Christmas blowout, ROCKIN' RUDOLPH, which lives up to the warm , virtuosic and rockin' high standard the Stray Cat has set for himself at Yuletide
by David McGee
 

 

 
1st Christmas Stamp Canada 85 featured copy

The First Christmas Stamps

It may seem like Christmas stamps have been around pretty much forever in some form, but in fact the U.S. did not issue a Yuletide stamp until 1962. Canada, in 1889, beat everyone to the punch with its Queen Victoria-approved C...
by David McGee
 

 
 
Frosty featured

Animated Christmas Classics

Christmas classics from the inkwell including Peace on Earth (1939), The Insects' Christmas (1913), and the first Frosty (1953).
by David McGee
 

 

 
canadian brass christmastime featured

Big Brass Ones for Christmas

On its fifth holiday album, CHRISTMASTIME IS HERE, CANADIAN BRASS honors the music of animated Yule favorites and the arrangements of LUTHER HENDERSON and BRANDON RIDENOUR.
by David McGee
 

 
 
death might be featured

Christmas in All Hues of Blues

CHRISTMAS IN ALL HUES OF BLUES, an updated review from 2012, spotlighting four classic blues-oriented Yuletide collections: DEATH MIGHT BE YOUR SANTA CLAUS and tBLUES, BLUES CHRISTMAS, Vols. 1-3
by David McGee
 

 

 
do you hear 45

A Christmas Classic For A Nuclear Armageddon

A seasonal classic born of an interfaith couple’s mutual concern for the fate of the world during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. The origin story of 'DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?'
by David McGee
 

 
 
George Gee Winter Wonderland cover

And a Wonderland It Is…

On WINTER WONDERLAND, GEORGE GEE leads his Swing Orchestra on a festive romp through Yuletide favorites, with a twist...
by David McGee
 

 

 
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Kinda Memorable Bluegrass for Christmas

This year’s crop of new holiday releases has been one of the weakest in recent memory, but even in the strongest years THE ROYS' delightful BLUEGRASS KINDA CHRISTMAS would be a standout.
by David McGee
 

 
 
blues blues vol3 featured

A Bluer Shade of Christmas

An update of our 2019 review of four essential Christmas blues anthologies: Volumes 1-3 of BLUES, BLUES CHRISTMAS and Legacy Recordings' DEATH MIGHT BE YOUR SANTA CLAUS.--a bluer shade of Christmas, if you will.
by David McGee
 

 

 
Daryl Mosley

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
 

 
 
Featured Image Baedeker 2024

The Deep Roots Yuletide Baedeker 2024

A holiday celebration of the best of seasonal music, movies, cartoons, literature, poetry--behold the 2024 Yuletide.
by David McGee