The California Honeydrops don’t just play music—they throw parties.
Drawing on diverse musical influences from Bay Area R&B, funk,
Southern soul, Delta blues, and New Orleans second-line, the Honeydrops
bring vibrant energy and infectious dance-party vibes to their live
shows. They’ve taken the party all over the world: on their nine
European tours, to featured slots at such premiere festivals as Monterey
Jazz, High Sierra, and Outside Lands, and performances in 2013
supporting B.B. King, Dr. John, Buddy Guy, and Allen Toussaint. Whether
in those high-profile performances or in more intimate venues where the
band itself can leave the stage and get down on the dance floor, the
California Honeydrops’ shared vision and purpose remain: to make the
audience dance and sing.
The Honeydrops have come a long way since guitarist and trumpeter
Lech Wierzynkski and drummer Ben Malament started busking in an Oakland
BART station, but the band has stayed true to that organic, street-level
feel. With the additions of Johnny Bones on tenor sax and clarinet,
Lorenzo Loera on keyboards, and Beau Bradbury on bass, they’ve built a
powerful full-band sound to support Wierzynski’s vocals.
Listening to Lech sing, it can be a surprise that he was born in
Warsaw, Poland, and raised by Polish political refugees. He learned his
vocal stylings from contraband American recordings of Sam Cooke, Ray
Charles, and Louis Armstrong, and later at Oberlin College and on the
club circuit in Oakland, California. Bringing all those influences
together with the rest of the band’s diverse experiences into a unified
musical vision, the California Honeydrops expect to play parties for a
long time.
DISCOGRAPHY
- Like You Mean It (2013)
- Honeydrops Live (2012)
- Spreadin’ Honey (2010)
- Soul Tub (2008)
BAND MEMBERS
Lech Wierzynski — lead vocal, trumpet, guitar
Ben Malament — drums, washboard, percussion
Johnny Bones — tenor saxophone, clarinet
Lorenzo Loera — keys, melodica
Beau Bradbury — bass, percussion
For more information go to:
http://www.cahoneydrops.com/
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