Wonderland Yulesville

Strictly Coolsville

A trio of brilliant holiday albums bearing title variations of WONDERLAND rank with the essential anthologies of seasonal fare. Released in 2003, the recordings range from rare to familiar, the artists from obscure to beloved. ...
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
 

 

 
Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet Fools For Yule featured

The Coolest Yule

The Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet's first seasonal outpouring, FOOLS FOR YULE, offers some bracing surprises in its mix of original songs and classic holiday fare.
by David McGee
 

 
 
Christmas Caravan

Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That String!

Canada's THE SULTANS OF STRING and their guests put a new spin on the spirit of the season, but it's is still the spirit we’ve known for bringing good tidings of great joy. Dig the best Christmas album of the 2017 Yuletide se...
by David McGee
 

 

 
Prester First Snow Cover

The Soft, The Warm, The Syncopated Yule

A trifecta of outstanding stocking stuffers for this--and every--Yuletide season: AMBER WEEKES's THE GATHERING; ROBERT PRESTA & ADRIANA SAMARGIA's FIRST SNOW; and RALLY 'ROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE, PARAGON RAGTIME ORCHESTRA
by David McGee
 

 
 
winchester college choir a winters night

Robert Hugill’s Classical Christmas Evergreens

ROBERT HUGILL'S CLASSICAL CHRISTMAS is a collection of must-read reviews of Classical Yuletide fare, from choral works to small vocal ensembles, as appraised by Mr. Hugill in Deep Roots from 2013 to the present day. All to make...
by David McGee
 

 

 
happy holidays 2020

Ho-Ho-Ho, Who Wouldn’t Go?

IVY FORD offers a delightful holiday treat in HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2020, her EP featuring five tasty Christmas carols and songs, available as a free download at her website. To say the price is right is to be guilty of understatement.
by David McGee
 

 
 
our christmas best

The Deep Roots Yuletide Baedeker 2020

Welcome back our CHRISTMAS BAEDEKER, the all-inclusive guide to the best in holiday fare, from movies to cartoons to music to stories behind the songs to Christmas poetry to...well, you name it, we got it! Buon Natale!
by David McGee
 

 

 
tom mason under

More Than Holly Leaves and Christmas Trees

TOM MASON's third Yuletide album, UNDER A MISTLETOE SKY, offers a fine option with which to make Christmas merry and bright, in a year when we really need it to be so…
by David McGee
 

 
 
christmas from selwyn

‘A Wonderfully Grand Way to Hear the Familiar Carols’

For choral music lovers, two beautiful Christmas albums from British sources: CHRISTMAS FROM WORCESTER BY THE WORCESTER CATHEDRAL CHOIR and CHRISTMAS FROM SELWYN, with the CHAPEL CHOIR OF SELWYN COLLEGE.
by David McGee
 

 

 
brian setzer rockin rudolph

The Man With All the Toys

Updated for Yuletide 2020, BRIAN SETZER's 2015 holiday gem, ROCKIN' RUDOLPH, shows off the master showman and ace guitarist at his best, along with his hard-working, gifted elves (the Orchestra), rocks and croons masterfully on...
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