mainheader

Bill McGee
Bill McGee - The Tree of Life (2023) "Trumpeter Bill McGee has touched seemingly every facet of the music industry, from playing in the band that became Brick to laying down trumpet on The Sugarhill Gang’s “Apache” to label owning, tour managing and teaching, most recently at Virginia State University. Did we mention he mentored a young D’Angelo? McGee decided to teach when polyphonic synthesizers became common in the 1980s. “Within two years, synthesizers had put all the live musicians out of business,” he says. But McGee has thrived thanks to his love of technology and mentoring younger players. “I don’t live in the past, I live in the future,” he says. “I get excited about what’s possible.” Slated for a March release, his next album, “The Tree of Life,” embodies the Richmond-based musician’s embrace of change. “I’ve got people from ages 75 to 18 playing on this album,” he says. “This is what music’s all about."   ~ richmondmagazine.com

Links: Website, Facebook, Last.FM, YouTube and DC Bebop.

MUSIC CD ARCHIVE: ONECD

Roger Glenn
Roger Glenn - My Latin Heart (2025) "Glenn’s artistry shines across more than 18 instruments, including flute, vibes, saxophones, marimba, and beyond. His sound is steeped in Afro-Caribbean and Brazilian traditions, but his improvisational voice is unmistakably his own. The album unfolds like a journey through Glenn’s personal musical geography. From the jubilant opener “Zambo’s Mambo” to the heartfelt “Cal’s Guajira” (a tribute to Cal Tjader), every track feels like a celebration. The spiritual “Angola” channels Afro-Cuban ritual power, while “Congo Square” bridges African and European influences with breathtaking scope. The album closes with “Samba de Carnaval,” a joyous Brazilian finale." ~ latinjazznet.com

Website, Facebook, YouTube and Discography Amazon Music.

MUSIC CD ARCHIVE: DOUBLECD

Marina Albero
Marina Albero - A Nomad of Sound (2024)  "There is a quiet magic in the concept of a nomad. A life unbound by fixed borders, open to the rhythms of distant lands and the whispers of ancient traditions. For Barcelona-born pianist and composer Marina Albero, nomadism is a way of life and is at the heart of her latest album, A Nomad of Sound. Written and recorded during her self-designed residency in New Orleans, this ambitious work embodies a journey of musical settings charting an exciting new chapter in Albero’s lifelong musical travelogue."   ~ ~ thejazzword.com ,

Facebook, Discography, Website .

Marina Albero - A Life Soundtrack (2021)  "An ambitious three disc set by pianist/composer Marina Albero ranges from her own compositions, standards and improvisations, ranging in formats from solo to duet to ensembles, including vocalits. Each album has a title and mood. Alberto has in a trio format with Bori Albero/b and Dani Rodriguez/dr along with earthy vocals by Alba Carmona on “Mi Secreto” and some Konnakol singing with Gyan Singh’s tablas for “Indian Jam”. "   ~ ~ jazzweekly.com

MUSIC ARTS: SESSION

Music Arts session - Concert, Station, PBS, NPR and other live mini concert sessions and interviews.

Blue Note At 75, The Concert: Lou Donaldson & Dr. Lonnie Smith
"In a stretch of Blue Note albums throughout the 1950s, '60s and even early '70s, alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson, now 87, emblematized the hard bop and soul jazz that we now consider "straight-ahead."

Lou Donaldson Quartet feat Lonnie Smith - Live in France 2004,

"Louis Andrew Donaldson Jr. was an American jazz alto saxophonist. He was best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years, he was heavily influenced by Charlie Parker, as were many during the bebop era”. Wikipedia

"Lonnie Smith (July 3, 1942 – September 28, 2021), styled as Dr. Lonnie Smith, was an American jazz Hammond B3 organist who was a member of the George Benson quartet in the 1960s. He recorded albums with saxophonist Lou Donaldson for Blue Note before being signed as a solo act. He owned the label Pilgrimage, and was named the year's best organist by the Jazz Journalists Association nine times. " Wikipedia

BOOK RACK: FEATURED BOOK

Ted Chiang - Exhalation Stories (2019) "Exploring humankind's place in the universe and the nature of humanity, many of the stories in this stellar collection focus on how technological advances can impact humanity’s evolutionary journey. Chiang's (Stories of Your Life and Others, 2002) second collection begins with an instant classic, “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate,” which won Hugo and Nebula awards for Best Novelette in 2008. A time-travel fantasy set largely in ancient Baghdad, the story follows fabric merchant Fuwaad ibn Abbas after he meets an alchemist who has crafted what is essentially a time portal. After hearing life-changing stories about others who have used the portal, he decides to go back in time to try to right a terrible wrong—and realizes, too late, that nothing can erase the past."     ~ kirkusreviews.com, KOBO Books

BOOK RACK: FEATURED SERIES

M.S. Valdez - Empire Paladin Series (2015 - 2020) "A debut historical fantasy that pits God against the devil, and their magic-users against one another. In the year 1241, paladins—special warriors with magical abilities in service of the Christian church—are sent out into the world to enact God’s will and uphold his laws. Lord Vhaldrynn Malleus, one of the 12 strongest and high-ranking “primus” paladins, is using his healing powers on a battlefield when he’s informed that his own city has been mysteriously attacked by nearby armies. Vhaldrynn rushes back to his home, only to find a smoking ruin where his house once stood, and the burned corpses of his family. In his grief, he denounces God and his role as a paladin, and vows to get revenge."     ~ Kirkus and KOBO Books

MOVIES: FEATURED MOVIE

DarkCity (1998)

"“Dark City” by Alex Proyas is a great visionary achievement, a film so original and exciting, it stirred my imagination like “Metropolis” and “2001: A Space Odyssey.” If it is true, as the German director Werner Herzog believes, that we live in an age starved of new images, then “Dark City” is a film to nourish us. Not a story so much as an experience, it is a triumph of art direction, set design, cinematography, special effects–and imagination. Like “Blade Runner,” it imagines a city of the future. But while “Blade Runner” extended existing trends, “Dark City” leaps into the unknown. Its vast noir metropolis seems to exist in an alternate time line, with elements of our present and past combined with visions from a futuristic comic book. Like the first “Batman,” it presents a city of night and shadows, but it goes far beyond “Batman” in a richness of ominous, stylized sets, streets, skylines and cityscapes. For once a movie city equals any we could picture in our minds; this is the city “The Fifth Element” teased us with, without coming through." ~ rogerebert.com  
Link: DarkCity (1998) - Buy/Rent Watch online

CUISINE: FEATURED RESTAURANT

Sugarfish by Sushi Nozawa -    Located at 12833 Ventura Blvd., Suite 129 Studio City CA, "Sugarfish Sushi is a well-known sushi restaurant chain that emphasizes simplicity and quality over extravagant presentation. From my experience, they focus on serving a carefully curated selection of fresh, expertly sourced fish with minimal fuss. It makes me wonder—why complicate good sushi when great ingredients can speak for themselves? What stands out to me about Sugarfish is their commitment to consistency. Each piece of sushi felt thoughtfully prepared, reflecting the philosophy of “trust me” menus where the chef chooses the best offerings of the day. It created a relaxed atmosphere, leaving me curious about how often they rotate their fish choices. In essence, Sugarfish Sushi isn’t about innovation or flashy rolls; it’s about honoring sushi as an art form rooted in tradition. Their approach reminded me of my first appreciation for sushi—simple, fresh, and satisfying. Have you ever experienced that kind of straightforward pleasure at a sushi spot? That’s exactly what Sugarfish delivers." ~ Excerpt from octosushi.com and Link: Website

*The most recent featured musicians and play lists from the five Music listings on DC Bebop.   A musician listed on a DC Bebop page with an intro, is featured for 10 days with one of their songs.  Included in the play list are songs by nine other musicians in a table on DC Bebop. The songs are linked to a page (Reverbnation, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, YouTube or where ever the song can be heard). The play list is not a top 10 list. It features songs I liked and think perhaps others might appreciate the music as well.

Top of Page