The Cherry Pie Band
Summer Concert Series
Old State House
Hartford
June 6, 2025
The first day of summer is still weeks away, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s already arrived, thanks to the sweltering heat and the hot tunes from the Cherry Pie Band on display at the kickoff of the Summer Concert Series at the Old State House in Hartford.
While the Cherry Pie Band covered songs in several different genres, their most memorable songs were from a style of music I’d never heard before called rockabilly. A blend of country music and R&B, rockabilly is sometimes described as the forerunner of “classic” rock and roll. I can understand why, because the Cherry Pie Band had everyone rocking in the Old State House courtyard.
Jilian Grey, the band’s lead vocalist, also plays the ukulele. Grey learned to sing from her father, a Metropolitan Opera alumnus, and it’s obvious in her performance. Her voice is powerful, losing none of its clarity or musicality as she runs up the octave ladder. She also has impressive control over her voice, making distinctive sounds as the music calls for.
One of the elements that have been missing from performances in the past was a sense of showmanship. I guess I never thought about it, because it makes sense that performers would stay in the shade of their tent as the summer sun beats down on the brick courtyard.
But that didn’t stop Grey from dancing out into the middle of the courtyard as she performed, greeting the crowd as she sang “Downtown” by Petula Clark. I’d never seen anyone leave the tent before. It made the Cherry Pie Band’s performance stand out.
Of course, the most notable quality of the band was their musical talent. Lou Bocciarelli is the band’s bassist, responsible for the swinging baselines that made me want to jump up and dance (if it wasn’t 90 degrees outside). Rich Dart on the drums was also spectacular, using his percussion set not simply to keep time for the band but to highlight different parts of the song with the thundering bass drum, rolling snares or the crash of the hi-hat.
Guitarist Paul Tautkus bent the instrument to his will. Tautkus managed to make his runs sound clear and deliberate, with each note bouncing off the strings of his guitar. He also had a noticeable twang in his playing style that complemented Bocciarrelli’s swinging baseline.
Oh yeah, did I mention that he can sing too? Tautkus has a smooth, mello voice that is a nice contrast to Grey’s powerful pipes. The duality of the two lead singers also contributed to the rocking nature of the performance; I felt like I was swinging from one style of music to another, still unified by the same sound.
The Cherry Pie Band was the perfect choice to kick off this year’s concert series. Their energy and passion brought people out into the blazing sun to dance; if the rest of the summer’s performances are as good as this one, it’s going to be a great summer of music.
NEXTThe Summer Concert Series continues on June 13 with Midnight Anthem.
Jamil goes to the Bushnell to go back…to the future!
