Big Bossa Quartet

The date was July 22 at The Mock Crest Tavern on N. Lombard. This writer found himself in a friendly, cozy bar, his eyes and ears in tune to the Big Bossa Quartet. The band was formed a little over five years ago by Evan Shlaes. His ability to put together a talented group of musicians is well known in the Portland music scene. This band and another, The New Iberians, are but two. Whether it’s rock and roll, polka, blues, or in this case jazz, no matter what the genre, you can count on his music to be exceptional. The band consists of electric bass player Jay Jorgensen; guitarist Clark Salisbury; drummer Jolie Clausen; and Shlaes on vibraphone and lead vocals. Additional information about the members is available at
www.bigbossa.com. From the first set to the last, Big Bossa’s music was incredible. You could see the professional ability earned by spending years playing together. The evening of entertainment included favorites such as Midnight Sun and Georgia. The band also played a few tunes from their latest album, The Big Bossa Quartet, including Anymore? and O-C. You can fi nd this CD on iTunes or Amazon.com. The band members knew their music so well that they could laugh and enjoy each other greatly. The laughter and fun spread out through the bar from one end to the other, all the way outside to Lombard Street. Their chemistry was obvious. You can find Big Bossa’s upcoming concerts listed around town or in the Bandstand listings Page 2 at positivelyentertainment.com. - Positvely Entertainment