Ocean State

By Tom Irwin

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Formed in early 2014, Ocean State performs a classic selection of American country, blues and jazz standards along with a good splash of Brazilian-based, samba-influenced compositions. The can’t-go-wrong set list contains tunes penned by top-shelf writers, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Fats Waller, John Lee Hooker, Hank Williams, Chet Atkins and others. The music men concocting the three-piece combo come equipped with broad and extensive musical backgrounds. Gordon Carvalho, Springfield’s percussionist go-to guy, played/plays in Oysters Rockefeller, Back Seat Drivers, Bossa Azul and other bands, and covers congas, brushed snare and various other percussive instruments. Mississippi native and longtime Pawnee resident, music composer and instructor, studio owner and operator, blues player and fingerpicker extraordinaire, Michael Taylor chimes in on vocals, bass and guitar. Mark Russillo, influenced by Toots Thielemans, Little Walter, Sarah Vaughan and Tony Bennett, plays the harmonica and sings as he’s done in local bands (he also vocalizes Brazilian selections in Portuguese) and groups in the Washington, D.C. metro area; Providence, Rhode Island and Houston, Texas.

Ocean State
Friday, Aug. 29, 8:30-11:30pm
Norb Andy’s Tabarin

About The Author

Tom Irwin

Email Tom Irwin

Tom Irwin, a sixth-generation Sangamon County resident, has played his songs and music for nearly 40 years in the central Illinois area with occasional forays across the country. He's contributed to Illinois Times since 2000 by writing Now Playing, a weekly music column, as well as features stories and other articles...

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