Pittsburgh Author and Florida Singer-Songwriter Team Up to Celebrate Jimmy Buffett's Legacy with Book and Album Release

Chip Bell's tropical adventure series inspired John McDonald's "Everything's Jake: A Jake Sullivan Album"

PITTSBURGH, PA, US, July 22, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On Wednesday, August 21st, Pittsburgh author Chip Bell and award-winning Florida singer-songwriter John McDonald will come together to celebrate the legacy of Jimmy Buffett with a joint book signing and album release party.

Bell will be signing copies of his tropical adventure novel, Southern Cross, while McDonald performs songs from his new album Everything's Jake, inspired by Bell's Jake Sullivan Series. The event will take place at Moondog's which will exude a Floribbean vibe.

Bell's Southern Cross follows the journey of Jake Sullivan into the world of evil that lies beneath the tropical beauty of Cabo San Lucas, Trinidad and Tobago.

The Series, now totaling twenty-four installments, has received rave reviews for its vivid descriptions of island life and its captivating storylines. Bell, a Pittsburgh native who is a civil trial attorney, has always been drawn to the tropical lifestyle. After a chance encounter with Buffett himself, he incorporated his love for the Caribbean, storytelling and Trop Rock - short for Tropical Rock - into his writing.

McDonald, who won the Trop Rock Music Association Single of the Year Award for the title song of his Islandology album, has been making waves in the Gulf Coast genre with his distinct blend of Reggae, Rock, Island and Calypso rhythms. His latest album, Everything's Jake: A Jake Sullivan Album, is a tribute to the Jake Sullivan Series and features songs inspired by the characters and settings in Bell's novels.

McDonald's performance at Moondog's is sure to transport the audience to a tropical paradise with fun, catchy tunes like the title cut Everything's Jake, Life Is a Shipwreck and At the Soggy Dollar Bar, an ode to the fabled Jost Van Dyke tiki bar in the British Virgin Islands that originated the Painkiller cocktail. Since Jake Sullivan is akin to a tropical James Bond, McDonald also conjures up darker, mysterious island impulses with The Dark Side of the Sunshine State and Your Jamaica Mistake.

McDonald, a former Pittsburgh resident, found inspiration in Paul Simon’s South African/Brazilian rhythms, Bob Marley’s Reggae and Jimmy Buffett’s Tropical Rock long before he migrated to Florida; he fronted “one of Pittsburgh's premier party bands, John McDonald & the Mango Men” (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review).

Although both fellow Duquesne University graduates, Bell and McDonald met serendipitously for the first time at Captain Tony’s Saloon in Key West, Florida. As Bell recounts, “I remembered John from his Pittsburgh days and introduced myself, and he recognized me as the author of the Jake Sullivan Series. We talked about old times and new times and came up with the idea that somehow we should get together. And we did. I think the idea for ‘Everything’s Jake’ was born that night.”

The joint book signing and album release is a celebration of Jimmy Buffett's legacy and the impact he has had on both Bell and McDonald's work. Fans of Buffett's music, including loyal Parrot Heads and lovers of action adventure plots, are invited to join in on the fun and experience the magic of the Caribbean through Bell's writing and McDonald's music. Happy hour begins at 4 PM, followed by a meet and greet at 5 PM. Don't miss this unique opportunity to bask in the tropical vibes and celebrate the work of two talented artists.

Copies of Southern Cross and Everything's Jake: A Jake Sullivan Album will be available for purchase at the event. Come join us for a night of tropical fun and celebrate the legacy of Jimmy Buffett with Chip Bell and John McDonald.

For more information about the event, please visit Moondog's website: https://moondogs.us/
Ticket link:
https://www.showclix.com/event/john-mcdonald-and-the-mango-man-wednesdat-august-21-2024
Facebook Event Page: https://fb.me/e/5DujIeoTA

Visit the artists' websites and social media pages:
Chip Bell: http://www.chipbellauthor.com/books/
Chip Bell social media: https://www.facebook.com/chipbell.jakesullivan
John McDonald: https://johnmcdonaldmusic.com/everything-s-jake-a-jake-sullivan-album-april-2024
John McDonald social media: https://www.facebook.com/JohnMcDonaldSongs

Find out about Trop Rock:

If you enjoy the feel-good, summer vibe of the Tropical Rock (or Trop Rock) genre with its mix of Rock and Roll, Country, Caribbean and Reggae, check out the Trop Rock Music Association: https://troprock.org/about/
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Jennifer Kosior
ADC Publishing and Design
+1 724-448-7448
jenniferkosior1811@gmail.com

Pittsburgh expatriate John McDonald revels in the free-spirited, tropical life-style prominently exemplified and chronicled by Jimmy Buffett