Social,-TheCaliforniaHoneydrops.190920-(no-text)

The California Honeydrops celebrate their 11th year together with the release of
their latest live album, Honeydrops Live 2019 and an international tour to Australia,
New Zealand and Europe. This follows the release of their 7th studio album and
first ever double album, Call It Home: Vol. 1 & 2 in 2018. Led by dynamic vocalist
and multi-instrumentalist Lech Wierzynski, and 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 shows. Theyʼve taken the party all over the world, playing festivals of
all kinds and touring widely across North America, Europe and Australia. In 2016 &
2017 the Honeydrops were honored to support Bonnie Raitt on her North America
release tour — and in the past have been privileged to support the likes of B.B.
King, Allen Toussaint, Buddy Guy, and Dr. John. 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 Honeydropsʼ 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 subway
station, but the band has stayed true to that organic, street-level feel. 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. With the additions of Johnny
Bones on tenor sax and clarinet, Lorenzo Loera on keyboards, and Beau Bradbury
on bass, theyʼve built a powerful full-band sound to support Wierzynskiʼs vocals.
More like parties than traditional concerts, their shows feature extensive off-stage
jamming and crowd interaction. “The whole point is to erase the boundaries
between the crowd and us,” Wierzynski says.