Bebob Grabowski

Bebob Grabowski's Gecko Jazz

Bob Grabowski, a professor at Florida International University, has an alter ego. When he isn't educating throngs of students on the evolution of jazz, he picks up his upright bass and becomes an old-school superhero named Bebob, following the tradition of South Florida legends such as Jaco Pastorius, Ira Sullivan, and Arturo Sandoval (all of whom have performed alongside the Bebob). His band, the Gecko Island Jazz Trio, plays straight-ahead jazz with Brazilian and Latin elements. They are known for rearranging standards, improvising until they have seemingly backed themselves into a musical corner, yet somehow seamlessly jamming their way out. -- Kris Conesa

Bebob Grabowski performs at 9:00 p.m. Thursdays at Bougainvillea's Old Florida Tavern, 7221 SW 58th Ave, South Miami. Call 305-669-8577.