The band, Blue Marvin, has a distinctly soulful sound, setting them apart from many groups playing the Chicagoland club circuit. The group was formed in 1994, by current members Mark Rosendahl (bass) and Larry Brown (vocals, guitar). The two musicians grew up together in Mundelein, Il and have been playing and performing together since 1988, when both were sixteen years old. The band honed their early original sound in a musty attic on the corner of Belmont and Southport, gigging out with a steady diet of interchangeable players. In 1997, Rosendahl and Brown were joined permanently by lead guitarist Mike Troglia, a Milwaukee, WI native, whose eclectic style ranges from pop to delta blues. Troglia's many credits include music produced and engineered by Garbage member and Nirvana producer, Butch Vig. Chicagoan Bob Sides was recruited in 1998, adding soulful Hammond B3 organ and piano as well as an unmistakable funk writing style. Sides, who also sings backup is a former member of national touring act Bagdad Jones from Laurence, Kansas. The most recent addition to Blue Marvin has been drummer John Russell, member of well-known Chicago bands Zero Balance and Rubygrass. John's rock solid meter and sense of dynamic have fleshed out the band's groovier tendencies while adding immeasurable energy and cohesiveness to the songs. The better part of the last decade has seen the band playing consistently in and around Chicago with marginal time off to record two full-length albums. Ice Cream in the First (1997) and For a Minute (1999) have been independently released and showcase all original music. Blue Marvin's roots are vast but manifest most notably in pop, funk, and soul, with strong influences coming from Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, Allman Bros., and Steely Dan, to name a few. The band's largely original live set has been known to include a cover or two by the above or similar artists. The band has a strong local following, having played such venues as House of Blues, The Park West, Schuba's etc. and have been a staple on the Chicago festival scene for years. The Spin Doctors, Liquid Soul and The Jayhawks are among the national acts Blue Marvin has supported. Promotion using E-mail, U.S. mail and website (www.mp3.com/bluemarvin) keep an ever growing fan base up to date on the band's activities. In November 2001, Blue Marvin received Jim Beam's B.E.A.M. cash grant, promoting emerging music and played a Jim Beam Backroom Session hosted by WXRT's Richard Milne. The song Answer in her Heart (For A minute) was chosen by mp3.com. for a service that sells music into retail environments and has been played over 250,000 times nationally.