CALIFORNIA HONEYDROPS: Soulful Blues-Groove Party
NOTE: Tickets are available online at brownpapertickets.com. There will be TWO SHOWS this evening. Please see below.
The California Honeydrops are proud to have won the 2009 SF Weekly award for Best R&B/Soul Band in San Francisco. The group has developed a tremendous following in California, selling out shows at Yoshi s in Oakland and the Lindy Groove in LA, and performing at the Rawa Blues Festival in Poland to exceptional response. They were also recently nominated by The Blues Foundation for a Blues Music Award for Best New Artist.
Formed in November 2007, the California Honeydrops first performed on the streets and in the subways stations in Oakland. Playfully crossing genres from roots and blues to soul and R&B, The California Honeydrops sound is tied together by soulful vocal harmonies, colorful shouts from brass and horns, and a funky, good-times New Orleans rhythm section.
Lech Wierzynski: vocals, guitar, trumpet
Chris Burns: piano
Ben Malament: drums, vocals
Seth Ford-Young: bass, vocals
Johnny Bones: saxophones
Born in Warsaw, Poland, bandleader and front man Lech Wierzynski began playing blues and jazz as a teenager at after-hours jam sessions in Washington, D.C. After studying trumpet with Marcus Belgrave (Ray Charles), Lech continued to develop his career after moving to Oakland. Honing his craft with some of the biggest names in American music such as Maria Muldaur, Dan Hicks, and Jackie Payne Lech has grown equally as a trumpeter, singer and guitarist.
The vibrant rhythm section of The California Honeydrops is fueled by piano veteran Chris Burns (Albert Collins, Freddie Hughes, Maria Muldaur), drummer Ben Malament (Terry Reid, The Marvelettes, The Jelly Roll Souls), and bassist Seth Ford-Young (Tom Waits, Sean Hayes, Beats Antique). Adding an unprecedented energy is saxophonist Johnny Bones (Eddie Palmiere, Nell Carter, Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums).
We were lucky enough to host The California Honeydrops in July. We were astonished by their amazing performance, not to mention attendance. It was a rocking house!
Erik Siebert, Yoshi’s Jazz Club, Oakland
www.myspace.com/thecaliforniahoneydrops
Tickets are available online at www.brownpapertickets.com
$10 – $15 admission. TWO SHOWS: 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 7:00 p.m.) and 9:00 p.m.