The California Honeydrops based in the Bay area seems primed and ready to explode onto the music scene with their special fusion of jazz, blues, funk, R&B, Southern soul, and American.
I was immediately drawn to their sound and authenticity. This is one band you must simply see perform live! Excited that they will be in Nashville tonight and tomorrow opening for the iconic, Bonnie Raitt, at the Ryman Auditorium. This should be a stellar night of music. If you don’t already have your tickets, I strongly encourage you to find out more and link to buy them from the DO615 before all seats are gone!
We had an opportunity to speak with percussionist and co-founder of The California Honeydrops, Ben Malament, the other day just to give our readers a chance to get to know this incredible group.
They got inspiration for their name from a group back in the 30’s called The Chocolate Drops, and decided since their sound goes down a “lot smoother” that it was only fitting that this group from California call themselves The California Honeydrops since honey goes down smoother than chocolate.
Originally forming in 2007, the group toured around their area and eventually caught the attention of the legendary Bonnie Raitt. Ratio became a fan and supporter of their music, and asked them to come on tour with her. They are honored to be opening her tour all across the country, and bringing their music to a large audience.
Stay tuned for future coverage of the California Honeydrops to come!
About the California Honeydrops:
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.
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