WORLDWIDE FM

Babs Gonzales was jazz vocalist, poet, and author. Once a key member of the bebop generation alongside artists like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, Gonzales eventually became a forgotten figure, and toiling in obscurity. His larger-than-life personality, however, won him many friends and fans in the international jazz underground. A self-reliant, D.I.Y. spirit led to Gonzales self-publishing much of his work. High-speed jazz, heartbreaking ballads, and honest, humorous street poetry was expounded through an inventive vocabulary which saw him dubbed “inventor of the bebop language”.

Join DJ and music writer Danny Fitzgerald in a special show to celebrate Babs Gonzales’ 100th birthday. He is joined by two special guests, legendary saxophonist Sonny Rollins and renowned British writer and photographer Valerie Wilmer, who both knew “Monsieur Bebop” personally. Hear their testimony, plus some rare and classic records.