Pork Pie Cats

PORK PIE CATS...we're a band!!! A real band, we don't have a stack of on call musicians...like the joke where they introduce the band ...to one another...and their not kidding.

We'll show up early, play some background music, make announcements and/or provide you a wireless mic. We'll dress neatly, start on time. We're gonna help you have a good time, because we're gonna have a good time, jamming out some tunes. You’re gonna like us...we play good music we're nice people, we love music!

PORK PIE CATS
We are the PORK PIE CATS, two generations of musicians that have come together, through our love of live music, Jazz in particular, we take our music seriously although there's always room for fun and improvisation.
Our name, Pork Pie Cats, is a comic derivative of the famous Charles Mingus song Pork Pie Hat.

The Pork Pie Cats elders are guitarist, George Kokas and drummer-percussionist, Joe Olenick, they represent a combined 100 years of live music. Contrastingly we have college students, Sav Nelson on bass guitar and Thomas Olenick on saxophones.

George has been playing professionally since age 15, he has recorded his original compositions in Nashville and has played professionally throughout the valley and Pittsburgh.

Joe Olenick studied percussion at WLU and has played professionally for over 50 years, in addition to running his recording studio, Bud's Garage.

Sav Nelson is a bassist currently studying music technology at WLU and plays with bands ranging from bluegrass to hardcore (and jazz of course). Sav’s main focus is electric and double bass, but also plays guitar and tuba.

Thomas Olenick started playing the clarinet at a young age and has been a member of the Brooke High band, playing in the BHS Jazz band, in addition, Thomas has played extensively in local Jazz bands. Studies Jazz Saxophone with Jamie Peck and is currently a Chemical Engineering student at WVU.