by Daniel Corey
— Managing Editor —
February 21st, 2019 at Lucky Strike Live in Hollywood, CA. —
Drummer Eli Cherry is a man on a musical mission: “I aim to provide Los Angelinos with an unparalleled entertainment experience, showcasing LA’s most exciting young, but well-established talents, playing music ranging from instantly recognizable classics to new releases, to original songs, and somehow doing it for no cover charge. Ultimately, the aim is to showcase artists to a broad audience, while giving the audience an unforgettable show with 6-7 different artists.”
With a resume that includes Yoke Lore, Caye, India Carney and legend Quincy Jones, Cherry is more than fit for the task.
Don’t mistake The Cherry Pick for another run-of-the-mill “supergroup”: TCP just well may be the latest cultural movement on the Hollywood music scene. For this one evening, Eli Cherry was able to pull together accomplished artists who have worked with the likes of Michael Bolton, Damian Marley, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Natasha Bedingfield and Ariana Grande. The result was an astounding display of professional musicianship that left the audience wanting more.
The time was 9 PM when I arrived at Lucky Strike Live, and the evening had just gotten off to a great start: opening act The Heavy Waits already had the crowd dancing. Cherry capably led guitarist Mike Blumberg, keyboardist Stephen Thurston and bassist Francisco Ojeda through an instrumental landscape of Funk/Jazz/Rock Fusion that struck every beat with beautiful and captivating precision.
Next up was the main event: The Cherry Pick. A massive ensemble stocked the stage, complete with two guitarists, bassist, keys, percussion, horn section, backing vocalists, and Cherry leading the charge on drums again. Lead vocalists Matt Bloyd, Stan Taylor, MIA MOR, Nic Jackson, Michael Angeles, and Christine Noel gave voice to a wonderful mix of R&B, hip-hop, gospel, and pop. Every song was charted by Cherry, and The Cherry Pick band made every hit clean and beautiful, from the top trumpet down to bottom bass.
Cherry is planning more Cherry Picks that focus on specific musical genres, starting with classic hip-hop and R&B in April, funk and soul in June, rock and roll in August, Halloween music in October, and a Christmas special in December.
One can only hope that this movement will continue to grow and evolve. If you’re a SoCal resident, you’ll want to check out CherryDrums.com and be sure not to miss a note of what The Cherry Pick is offering.
The Cherry Pick Concert Photo Gallery
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The Cherry Pick:
Drums – Eli Cherry
Percussion – Tre Balfour
Bass – DeeJay Collier
Guitar – Eric Potapenko
Keyboards – Nathan Alef
Trumpet – Zach Ramacier
Trumpet – Gabe Steiner
Sax – Alekos Syropoulos
Trombone – Chris Johnson
Featured Vocalists:
MIA MOR
Christine Noel
Matt Bloyd
Nic Jackson
Stan Taylor
Guitar and Vox – Michael Angeles
CherryDrums.com
Instagram.com/CherryDrums/
The Heavy Waits:
Drums – Eli Cherry
Guitar – Mike Blumberg
Keyboards – Stephen Thurston
Bass – Francisco Ojeda
TheHeavyWaits.com
Instagram.com/TheHeavyWaits/
