Hip Pocket, the band. #hippocketrocks

Joe Fittante, vocals, keyboard. An Antigo native, Joe is passionate about music and muskies! He is renowned in the fishing industry as pioneering musky replicas in Wisconsin. Musically, Joe started off in high school rock bands, but took a 26-year hiatus from music. He came back strong, singing and playing keys with bands such as Otis & the Alligators and Joe Bucher & the Top Raiders, drawing upon his musical influences of Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Santana and Sting with skill and finesse.

Patrick Phalen, trumpet, musical director and arranger. Originally from Slinger, WI, with a Master’s degree in trumpet performance, Patrick has been playing professionally for nearly 30 years, performing with the likes of Burt Bacharach, Manhattan Transfer, Frankie Valli, The Temptations, The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and many more. He also toured internationally with The Groove Hogs, reaching the Top 50 on the Billboard charts in 2002.

Mike Fittante, drums. Born and raised in Antigo WI, Mike is a freelance drummer with numerous years experience playing in different venues with a wide range of artists. He is the rhythmic spark and the heartbeat of the band! His versatility and flair with a broad variety of musical styles, from blues and rock to Latin and Big Band, has put him at home in many different situations with a number of regional area jazz and rock bands.

Bill Hill, trombone. Bill grew up in Crivitz, is a UW-Stevens Point music education graduate, and has been the Director of Bands at Notre Dame Academy for 11 years. Bill performs regularly with Hip Pocket and the Emerald Brass Quintet. He is founder and leader of the Green Bay brass band, Brass Differential. He played the Montreaux Jazz festival in Switzerland in 2010 with the River Cities Jazz Orchestra, and has toured France, England, and the U.S. Bill is married to his lovely wife Paula, and has two kids, Heath and Ella.

Mark Piasecki, alto sax, tenor sax, and flute. Mark is a free-lance saxophonist whose performances include commercial recordings, shows and private events. He has opened up for or performed with such artists as B.B. King, Johnny Mathis, Kenny Rogers, Frank Sinatra Jr., Al Martino, The Jimmy Dorsey Band, The Four Tops, The Four Aces and many more. Mark has appeared as a guest soloist and has conducted workshops and rehearsal clinics for school-age groups throughout the state.

Marty Cheyka, guitar and sound engineer. A native of Wausau, WI, Marty owns and operates Whitehouse Productions, a premier full-service recording studio and audio and event production company. www.whitehouseaudio.com

Shelby Cheyka, vocals. A former national recording artist, Shelby has been working in the music business for over 20 years, both as an artist and business owner. In 2001 she signed a National Recording Contract with Timbaland's Beat Club Records/Interscope Records. That same year her original song "Cinderella" was placed on a soundtrack for the independent film "Magic Rock”. Along with her husband Marty Cheyka, they own “Whitehouse Productions”, a successful recording studio located in Wausau, WI. She also gets to express her creativity as a photographer and videographer as well. Most importantly, her biggest love in life is being a mother of 2 wonderful kids.

Joe Ellis, sound engineer and lighting engineer. Owner of JEM Productions. Based in Central Wisconsin and serve clients in the Wausau, WI area, and also produce live concert events throughout the state, and the Midwest. Live sound production is our specialty and through exceptional customer service, reliability and attention to detail JEM Productions and Sound by Joe.e is quickly becoming a go-to source for concert production services. www.joeellismusic.com