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Rocco Ventrella
Rocco Ventrella - Give Me the Groove (2007) "A native of the South of Italy, Rocco Ventrella grew up in Bari, on the Adriatic coast. Rocco began playing saxophone at age fourteen, inspired by jazz records his father had given him; for over twenty years, Rocco honed his chops by playing with the Big Band “J.S.O.” of his hometown Bari where he appeared with an impressive list of artists such as: Lee Konitz, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Benny Bailey, Chet Baker, Ernie Wilkins, Art Farmer, Tony Scott, Dizzy Gillespie, Bob Mintzer and other collaborators including keyboard wizard Renato Falaschi... Give Me The Groove is a unique global collaboration, combining Rocco from Italy, longtime friend Renato Falaschi from France, and producer/ multi-instrumentalist Nazarian from the USA in a smooth-yet-funky showcase for Rocco's performing and writing talents. "

Links: Website, Yanagisawa Saxophones, YouTube, Soundcloud, Spotify, Facebook and DC Bebop page.

MUSIC CD ARCHIVE: ONECD

Nanami Haruta
Nanami Haruta - The Vibe (2025)  "With her debut album, The Vibe, trombonist Nanami Haruta confidently steps onto the jazz scene, marking herself as an exhilarating player on the jazz scene. Released February 28, 2025, on Origin Records, the album circles Haruta’s exceptional talent. Mentor and producer Michael Dease presence on trombone and baritone saxophone imbues the project with energy... The strengths of The Vibe overwhelmingly shine on Nanami Haruta’ talent. Supported by a stellar ensemble and guest artists, Haruta delivers a debut rich in technical brilliance, emotional resonance, and imaginative arrangements and compositions. This promising first release firmly establishes her as an artist to watch and listen closely to as she participates in jazz’s unfolding future."

Links:   Website, Facebook, YouTube and Origin Records

MUSIC CD ARCHIVE: DOUBLECD

The Cookers
The Cookers: Time and Time Again (2014)   "The Cookers deliver their post-bop styling with gusto on the group's sixth album Look Out! This collection of originals recall the mid to late sixties heyday of this jazz genre and with good reason, a few players were contributors to the eras sound. The band is really a modern day super group linking generations of jazz as the collaborators, Billy Harper: tenor sax, Eddie Henderson: trumpet, David Weiss: trumpet, Donald Harrison: alto sax, George Cables: piano, Cecil McBee: bass, and Billy Hart: drums have played with everyone from Herbie Hancock, to Charles Lloyd, to Art Blakey and beyond.../ The bonafides of The Cookers are without question and the music delivered here lives up to the resumes of all involved. Look Out! is a throwback jazz record in the best of ways. "  -
~ rockthebodyelectric.com


Links: Discography, Facebook page and Jazz Legacy Productions.

The Cookers: Time and Time Again (2014)   "Celebrating seven years together, Time and Time Again is the fourth release by The Cookers since the group's recording debut, Warriors (Jazz Legacy Productions, 2010). The band's all-star lineup, who first rose to prominence in the late '60s and early '70s, was initially formed by trumpet player David Weiss, who also serves as musical director. In addition to Weiss, the septet features the muscular frontline of trumpeter Eddie Henderson, tenor saxophonist Billy Harper and alto saxophonist Donald Harrison (replacing Craig Handy), with pianist George Cables, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Billy Hart manning the blue chip rhythm section. Drawing upon their varied experiences, the ensemble members split writing duties, effectively summarizing the entire spectrum of the jazz continuum in the process. "  -
~ TROY COLLINS - allaboutjazz.com

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

Raymond d’Huy A/C « Planet Blues », Album MesTissages [2007]
Raymond d’Huy - MesTissages (2007)
Personnel : Bruno Jofa, Charly Chomereau-Lamotte, Dominique Bérose, Georges Elliot, Jocelyn Ménard, Luther François, Normand Deveault, Philippe d'Huy, Raymond d'Huy, Raymond Grego, Sonny Troupé

Links: Bandcamp , Facebook, bananierbleu.fr and DC Bebop.

BOOK RACK: FEATURED BOOK

Bill Anschell - Benched (2025) , "What happens when a jazz pianist spends his career bouncing between high-profile concert halls, hellish wedding gigs, major festivals, cruise ship disasters, recording dates, and insane jam sessions? Bill Anschell turns it all into comic gold. His debut book, Benched, released on November 25th, offers satirical stories that pull back the curtain on the absurd realities of jazz life. Drawing on four decades as a working musician, Anschell finds humor in the venues, audiences, industry, and artists that make up jazz's singular universe. Fellow jazz artists will recognize themselves on every page, while newcomers will find it the perfect comic introduction to the jazz world."   allaboutjazz.com and Amazon Books

BOOK RACK: FEATURED SERIES

Holly Jackson - A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (2019-2021) "A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is well-loved on Bookstagram (and probably everywhere else, too!). It felt like everyone had read it, and I was the final holdout. Now that I’ve finally read it, I see why this book is so popular! (And I’m kicking myself for waiting so long.) A quick synopsis: Pippa Fitz-Amobi (a.k.a. Pip), a high school senior, decides to focus her senior capstone project on a 5-year old murder that happened in her town. The case is closed and the accepted killer, Sal Singh – a boy she knew when she was younger – is now deceased. But Pip just doesn’t believe he did it. As she starts digging into the case and interviewing past witnesses, things take a dark turn. Someone really doesn’t want her snooping."     ~ readerhaven.com. Books: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (2019); Good Girl, Bad Blood (2020); As Good As Dead (2021); and Kill Joy (2021)...   KOBO Books

MOVIES: FEATURED MOVIE

The Seven Samurai (1954)

"Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” (1954) is not only a great film in its own right, but the source of a genre that would flow through the rest of the century. The critic Michael Jeck suggests that this was the first film in which a team is assembled to carry out a mission–an idea which gave birth to its direct Hollywood remake, “The Magnificent Seven,” as well as “The Guns of Navarone,” “The Dirty Dozen” and countless later war, heist and caper movies. Since Kurosawa’s samurai adventure “Yojimbo” (1960) was remade as “A Fistful of Dollars” and essentially created the spaghetti Western, and since this movie and Kurosawa’s “The Hidden Fortress” inspired George Lucas’ “Star Wars” series, it could be argued that this greatest of filmmakers gave employment to action heroes for the next 50 years, just as a fallout from his primary purpose." ~ RogerEbert.com  

Link: The Seven Samurai (1954) - Buy/Rent Watch online

CUISINE: FEATURED RESTAURANT


Shiro's Sushi, located at 2401 2nd Ave, Seattle WA. "Shiro's Sushi is a renowned sushi restaurant in Seattle, known for its exceptional quality and Edomae-style offerings. The restaurant's omakase menu provides a delightful dining experience. The tempura and sushi courses were amazing- great quality and delicious. The fish was very fresh. The staff is great and the service is good and attentive. The chefs are professionals with excellent skills.
Customers praise the restaurant's outstanding and exceptional food. Visitors can enjoy a variety of unique and tasty sushi options. The price point is considered fair for the exceptional experience."
~ restaurantji.com, website: Shiro Sushi

*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 (MySpace, Reverbnation, 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.

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