Jim and Tonic. (Cindy Ison photo)

ESCANABA – The Music Co-op of Delta County is featuring a band that one member referred to as “crawled out of the muck of Portage Swamp.”

The band, now most commonly called Jim and Tonic, is made up of Gary Nash, Terry Ison, Tim Gorenchan and Jim Olsick. They began jamming out for fun at Ison’s tiki bar on Portage Point.

Nash, Ison, and Olsick each bring guitar and vocals to the table. Ison also plays bass guitar, and Olsick adds harmonica to the mix. Gorenchan sings and plays percussion in an unusual manner:

“I don’t know any other drummer that plays cardboard with a broom,” Nash said.

The group has been playing for abut five years, but only publicly for the last couple of years.

“Our performances run from old rock and country classics to some blues and current Americana favorites,” Nash said. “And we do offer new fresh takes on traditional lyrics. Which is to say we leave some lines out and switch others around. It keeps our audience on their toes.”

Jim and Tonic plays mostly covers with the occasional original.

The band has performed at bars and brewpubs but also fundraisers, parties and special events such as the 100th anniversary of the Escanaba Yacht Club.

“There are many different distinct regional sounds around the country like Memphis, Chicago and Miami,” Nash said. “With Tim and Terry in our rhythm section we’ve created our own entirely new sound we call the Portage Point Sound – which is trending very heavily now with 51-year-olds in Watson!”

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A new resource is available for those who love making music. The Music Co-op (TMC) is a network for finding local musicians to collaborate with. Whether you sing, play an instrument or write songs, you are welcome to join, regardless of age or skill level. Membership is free. Call 906-428-2843, email lois.corcoran57@gmail.com or search “The Music Co-op – Delta County” on Facebook.