Pittsburgh, PA - Local author Charles “Chip” Bell will hold a book signing on Saturday, October 2, 2021, at Pittsburgh’s “Caribbean Brewpub” - Mastic Trail Brewing, featuring a performance by singer songwriter John McDonald from 2 to 6 pm.
Bell, a Tarentum native and practicing attorney specializing in personal injury litigation, will release the next installment of his Jake Sullivan Series, which takes place in tropical destinations throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America.
Titling the book Why Don’t We Get Drunk, Bell proclaims “now that we have a wonderful, new Brewpub in Pittsburgh with a Caribbean theme, it’s an ideal time to bring back John McDonald and throw a fun, end-of-the summer party with great, live music celebrating my 19th novel which is set in Martinique.”
McDonald, best known in Western PA as the front man of the perennial party band John McDonald & the Mango Men, recently brainstormed long-distance with Bell about his hero/ protagonist Jake Sullivan and the specific plot of Why Don’t We Get Drunk; the result is a brand, new theme song for novel called La Diablesse (The Devil Woman), written by McDonald and his collaborator Rick Beresford.
“As a songwriter, I’m always looking for new sources of inspiration and Chip’s novels are full of compelling characters and adventures, all of which take place in beachy, island settings that are right up my alley” laughs McDonald.
Although Bell and McDonald are both Duquesne University graduates who traveled in similar circles for many years by virtue of their mutual passion for tropically flavored stories, history, and Jimmy Buffett’s Parrot Head lifestyle generally, they didn’t meet in person until 2018 when they bumped into each other outside Captain Tony’s Saloon in Key West, Florida.
“I’ve been a fan of John’s original music for a long time and his career as a ‘Coastal Americana’ artist has really blossomed since his move to Florida.”
McDonald’s 2021 CD release, Islandology, has received glowing reviews. A music critic from Brevard Live Magazine writes, “I’m a hard rocker but absolutely love this.” Rooftop Island, the first single, went to #1 on the Weekly Trop40 chart, hosted by the Tropical Americana station Radio A1A.
Along with a brief presentation by author Chip Bell, guests can sample Mastic Trail Brewing best-selling Mexican-style beer, aptly named Jake Sullivan’s Caribbean Lager, as they listen to the Floribbean sounds of John McDonald’s Trop Rock.
