John Lennon’s Glasses > About
Full Bio
Music has been in Jim Ocean’s blood since he was a young boy picking out rock ’n’ roll riffs on the string of his fishing pole in his mother’s kitchen. In his twenties—by then a seasoned musician and songwriter living in the burbs—Jim recognized the need for an intimate space where he and other artists could come together to perform their original music, and the Musician’s Coffeehouse was born.
In the decade that followed, Jim toured the country with his darkly satirical band Celtic Elvis, founded one of the granddaddies of the civic free concert series movement—Concord, California’s Music and Market Series—and started the ticketed Community Concerts Series, which was widely credited with bringing regional and national headliners to a suburban audience. Eight years after Jim’s future wife joined the operation (and after they tied the knot), they renamed their joint venture OceanWorks Productions. Today, Jim and Kathy Ocean produce dozens of shows annually, including free summer concert series and benefit concerts, as well as perform-and-produce programs derived from their catalog of original music.
Jim’s knack for blending the whimsical and the serious shines through in his songwriting, where he captures the complexities of the human condition with wit and wisdom. From The Rise and Fall of Practically Everything and Hard to be Real with Celtic Elvis to Fear and Love with his short-lived group the Dogmatics to his solo project Pop Tunes for Mystics to FrankenClime with the Jim Ocean Band, Jim’s music has always pushed the boundaries, using humor and metaphor to examine scientific discoveries and societal dilemmas. Whether he’s rubbing shoulders with astronauts, stage-managing music festivals, or captivating a crowd from the stage, Jim’s passion for music and community-building shines through in everything he does.
Jim’s dedication to the arts hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2002, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement in Cultural Arts award by the Contra Costa County Arts and Culture Commission and the California State Assembly and Senate.
It should be no surprise to learn that John Lennon has been a significant influence on Jim’s musical journey. Twelve-year-old Jim was profoundly affected when the Beatles landed in America in 1964. Jim has always admired Lennon’s ability to think outside the box, his innovative approach to chord construction, and the evolution of his songwriting over time. Lennon’s messages of peace and universal love resonated deeply with Jim, as did his lyrical honesty, his efforts to be a better person, and his continual quest to inspire positive change.
When he’s not writing magical realism or orchestrating the next musical event, Jim grows beans, greens, and broccoli on his little piece of paradise in the Northern California redwoods, where he lives with his wife, Kathy.
Kathy Ocean is the spirited cofounder of OceanWorks Productions and Jim’s partner in every sense of the word. As a young aspiring singer-songwriter and recovering clarinet player who dabbled in the Indiana University coffeehouse scene, Kathy left the cornfields of her adolescence for the vibrant music culture of San Francisco. After teaming up with Jim in 2000, she brought her energy and creativity to the concert production scene and quickly became an integral part of Jim’s business.
Kathy’s expertise extends well beyond event production. Equal parts project manager, concept shaper, and muse, she cowrites and performs alongside Jim. Together, they create thoughtful, lyric-driven music that explores science, philosophy, and the human experience. Their collaborative projects, such as the immersive planetarium show Astronaut Lullabies, the musical edutainment salon MetaQuizzical Cafe, and their enviro-social project Party for the Planet, showcase their ability to weave educational and cultural themes into their music.
Together, Jim and Kathy Ocean are cultural activists who inspire people to get out of their couches and into their communities. Whether they’re producing a concert, hosting a retreat, or performing together, the Oceans infuse their work with joy and connection. Their mission is simple: to bring people together in a vibrant and engaged community through the power of music.