Navy Band Jams, In Uniform

US Navy Band Northeast Public Concert
Hartford
Sept. 23, 2025

From a working perspective, the US Navy Band Northeast concert was one of the hardest that I’ve ever covered, because I just didn’t know when they would do the thing.

You know what I mean — the part of the song where the musicians let it rip with an awesome riff, a really funky baseline or a note so clear you can see right through it. When it comes to writing about a cover band, I’ve usually heard many of the songs before, so I can guess where the thing is going to happen. I’m usually ready with camera in hand to capture the moment.

What do you do when the entire performance is the thing?

I was constantly fumbling between my camera and cell phone as I watched the US Navy Band Northeast perform classic and modern hits on the first full day of fall on Pratt Street. Specifically, it was the Rhode Island Sound Popular Music Group division of the band. The shadows were long and the air was cool as the six-person ensemble tore the roof off as part of the first time that Navy Week is being celebrated in the Hartford-Springfield region. We’re also less than a month away from the Navy’s 250th anniversary on Oct. 13, so there’s plenty to sing about.

And boy, did Musician Seaman Tamra Martinez of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, sing for the ages.

I was nodding along, making notes about the music, when Martinez grabbed the microphone off the brick-paved road during a performance of “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone. I dropped my notepad as the sound exploded from her, echoing down the street and into traffic on both sides. I quickly grabbed my phone to record what I could, because I knew the reader had to hear this. To top it all off, Martinez is still relatively young, with it being only her first year in the Navy.

The rest of the band was equally as impressive. The performance was led by Chief Musician Marc Heskett, who looked pretty cool in dress whites, a pair of shades and his saxophone in hand. Not content to play just one blues instrument, Heskett also busted out his harmonica when Musician Petty Officer 2nd Class Caleb Dinger, from Punxsutawney, Penn., took the mic for an outstanding rendition of Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.”

It was basically impossible to capture every moment of the performance that I wanted to share. There was Musician Petty Officer 3rd Class Ariel Robles of Bayamon, PR, shredding on the bass during an impromptu solo. Musician Petty Officer 3rd Class Christian Olver did his fair share of shredding as well, stepping forward during the performance to dominate the evening with his guitar. And keeping everyone together was Musician Petty Officer 2nd Class Thomas Auger on the drums.

I eventually stopped writing all together and simply recorded. I recorded so much footage that I filled the internal storage on my phone. I agonized over which songs to include in this story, but I knew I had to put one of my favorite songs in here, “Die With a Smile” by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga. And again, Martinez killed it.

Full disclosure: My mother was in the Navy, and I was born at Groton naval base, so the Navy has always had a soft spot in my heart. But there’s no bias or favoritism here. The US Navy Band Northeast is hands down the best cover band I’ve ever heard. I suppose that shouldn’t come as a surprise, given the US military’s tradition of musical excellence, and the fact that they get to choose from the best and brightest musicians in the nation.

If you can make it to Hartford on Sept. 27, they’re going to perform again at Parkville Market in the evening. You won’t regret the trip.