We never did anything with the idea even though it sounded cool and until the times of quarantine i never had the time to work it out. Thats one of the reasons why we do that. But suddenly, the moment the California Honeydrops finished recording the title track of their recent A River's . June 30July 1///High Sierra Music Festival ///Quincy, CA, https://www.youtube.com/user/californiahoneydrops, Tags: 2016, blues, Bonnie Raitt, California, feature, features, interview, interviews, jazz, New Orleans, San Francisco, soul, The California Honeydrops. A contemporary soul-blues band that is grounded in tradition and also boasts a modern flair. LW: I was born there and I lived there until I was only three. More like parties than traditional concerts, their shows feature extensive off-stage jamming and crowd interaction. The California Honeydrops Best Songs List: Top, New, & Old - AllMusic Interview with Lech of the California Honeydrops When John Prine passed away last month it seemed like it was time to make the idea come to life as tribute to one of the great song writers of our time. I really appreciate that. Unlike many lead singers with his amount of talent, I found him to be very down to earth and an all around nice guy. They opened for her again in Hawaii and Australia in the Spring of 2017. of respect," explains Lech Wierzynski, singer, trumpeter, guitarist and leader of the Honeydrops. You know, like, way, way back. For more information, visitQuarantineComesAlive.com. Lech Wierzynski. And theres a bunch of stuff that we collaborated on, too. So, that we can stay in touch with whats actually going on in the room instead of just trying to nail a perfect set or something. And then the next album after that, this last one, we said to hell with all that, were not going back in the studio. Thank you John Prine and all the musicians that came before us for the gift of music, now as precious and needed as ever. Search instead in Creative? When I first came out here I started working with some older R&B musicians. Our first experiment recording. In 2022, the California Honeydrops celebrate their fourteenth year together with the forthcoming release of their latest studio album, Soft Spot. Sousaphones, strings, space echoesits all here. Soft Spot comes on the heels of Covers from the Cave, a cover album born out of pandemic livestream videos; live albums Remember When: Vol. Rotating between tub bass, jug, washboard and drums are Nansamba Ssensalo and Ben Malament. Our solo shows, the main thing that I like about that is that I get to play for as long as I feel like it. We want crowd involvement and to make people become a part of the whole thing by dancing along, singing, and generally coming out of their shells., Ineffable Music GroupThomas Cussins / Reid Fosterinfo [at] cahoneydrops [dot] com, MINT Talent GroupJerry Limajerry [at] minttalentgroup [dot] com, Ivey PRMaria Iveymaria [at] ivpr [dot] com, Sugaroo!Michael Nievesmichael [at] sugaroo [dot] com. April 20 ///Paramount Theatre ///Seattle, WA* The young Wierzynski was three years old. LW: I had just started writing songs. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Listening to Lech sing, it can be a surprise that he was born in Warsaw, Poland, and raised by Polish political refugees. We named ourselves after the old band, The Tennessee Chocolate Drops. And we recorded it at home again. 1959-2007. Bandwidth: The California Honeydrops bring some New Orleans soul to Shes a great artist. I do believe I saw these guys busking one time. The kitchen light in Lech Wierzynski's house hadn't worked in eight years. "But I always think, 'Hey, I'm probably going to do it a slightly different way.'" 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. We recorded it in my living room. May 34 ///Ryman Auditorium///Nashville, TN* Prior to the Honeydrops, Wierzynski worked as a session man for such musicians as Dan Hicks and Maria Muldaur, developing chops that later paid off in the band. As Wierzynski mentioned in a statement shared with the video. They've taken the party all over the world, playing festivals of all kinds and touring widely across North America, Europe and . The band followed the release by embarking on their eighth European tour, a West Coast tour, and a performance at New Orleans Jazz Fest.[2]. So, that started right away. This is a song written by John Prine and made famous by Bonnie Raitt. MM: I know you dont make set lists and ask for requests. Released", The California Honeydrops on ReverbNation, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_California_Honeydrops&oldid=1119818230, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles lacking in-text citations from November 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 3 November 2022, at 15:50. We kind of went with a go with the flow kind of approach to it. June 910 ///SFJazz Center ///San Francisco, CA And we put a lot of time in. The California Honeydrops, Lech Wierzynski, Yanos Lustig - Spreadin I recently had a chat with frontman, guitarist and trumpet player Lech (pronounced Lesh) Wierzynski about the making of A River's Invitation and the band's tour with Bonnie Raitt. Adding pianist Chris Burns and multi-instrumentalist Nansamba Ssensalo, the group released its debut, Soul Tub!, in 2008. Stay up to date! Thanks also to Nick Mallchok at Sacks & Co. for setting it up! Their latest album, A River's Invitation, has been described by one critic as "a fabulous, feel-good, fun-fest album of joyous musical partying. Weve been getting better at it. The Leszczyski family obtained the title of count of Leszno in the Holy Roman Empire. The California Honeydrops | Vilar Performing Arts Center They toured Australia for the first time in November 2015,[3] returning in 2017 and 2018 to play ten gigs at Byron Bay Bluesfest. And it keeps it interactive. LW: I really, really must say I prefer performing live. So, its great. But eventually I wanted to start my own band. He co-created and wrote for Cinezine, one of the '90's most popular movie E-zines. Theres a few of my own little dream songs on there that I kind of just did myself. Its a song that i heard Bonnie sing each and every night when we toured with her and her band 3 years ago and i never got tired of hearing it. My brother and I had to assimilate to modern American society, Wierzynski explains, so we loved all the popular stuff on the radio too, especially Hip-Hop, R&B. 2013 LoveIsPop - part of the CollectionDX Network, Grand Sierra Resort & Casino: Grand Theatre, A Conversation with Adam Jensen (Exclusive Interview), CANDID CONVERSATION: AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ADRIANA MATHER. The only time he's not listening to music is when he's watching television shows and movies or reading, usually music magazines. 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. An internationally touring band, the Honeydrops draw upon elements. The Brothers Comatose & Lech Wierzynski - "Bedside Window - YouTube You just go with the flow and if you make a mistake then you move on and no one even notices sometimes. "url": "https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/lech-wierzynski" So, thats a headliner show in Cambridge? The California Honeydrops Cover Chuck Berry, The Drifters At - L4LM June 18///Live Oak Music Festival///Santa Barbara, CA Even a little bit of old time Appalachian music, a little bit. You know, the Bay Are awas significantly cheaper then, so we could pay our rent just kind of busking. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. Born in Warsaw, Poland, band leader and front man Lech Wierzynski started playing blues and jazz as a teenager at after-hours jam sessions in Washington D.C. After studying trumpet with Marcus Belgrave, Wierzynski launched his own career in Oakland. We recorded it all at home, in my living room in Oakland, and it has a homemade feel. March 26///The Kennedy Center ///Washington, DC* Unlike many lead singers with his amount of talent, I found him to be very down to earth and an all around nice guy. The California Honeydrops have a light sound, but are anything but light weight. There is a great deal of New Orleans in them, but the Piedmont and West Coast Blues also inform the band. Early History of the Leszczynski family. So, we dont know a lot about Boston. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. James Infirmary and its antecedents have been widely played and loved. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. Til about December. Place Stanislas in Nancy was constructed between 1751 and 1755 . But we have been [headlining] on our nights off from her. Fans will be able to tune in and watch The California Honeydrops perform live later this month as part of Live For Live Musics Quarantine Comes Alive, a one-day virtual music festival featuring performances by more than 60 of our favorite artists on throughout the day on Saturday, May 30th beginning at 1:00 p.m. Modeled afterBrooklyn Comes AliveandDenver Comes Alive, Quarantine Comes Alive was conceived as a way to celebrate and support musicians, provide fans with unique musical experiences from the comfort of their couches, and raise money for comprehensive COVID-19 relief during this time of uncertainty. The recording process can be tedious and perfectionistic and you get really far in your head. Its a part of the country that we havent gotten to hit that often. 2,561 Followers, 785 Following, 36 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Antoni Lech Wierzynski (@thepolishhoneydrop) document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The California Honeydrops singer and guitarist Lech Wierzynski shared a cover performance of Angel from Montgomery to the bands social media pages earlier this week. He played with Charles Mingus. I was very deep into old, old American music. And they said, Well, Ill tell you what. It was their idea. He passed on the love of old stuff to me: everything from Louis Armstrong to Sam Cooke.. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. March 24///Tin Angel///Philadelphia, PA }. In 2018, the band released the double album Call It Home, Vols. Leader Lech Wierzynski, an amazingly pliant, deeply soulful singer who doubles on guitar and trumpet, wrote 11 of the 13 selections. Collective in Berkely. Northern California, it's always great here. Their first album, Soul Tub!, with all original songs was released in November 2008. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. Lech Wierzynski Of Bay Area Band The California Honeydrops, On - SFist