Well, I really appreciate that. LW: I write most of them. Boyce and Lightnin Malcolm, when Johnny our sax player said hey i can hear Angel from Montgomery over this groove, you should try singin it. ET. Episode 48: Lech Wierzynski (of The California Honeydrops) Knowing music was our way of proving we were American.. ", This year, they're excited to be touring as the opening act for the great Bonnie Raitt, with whom they'll be playing at the Fox Theater in Oakland their hometown on April 23. The California Honeydrops ' singer and guitarist Lech Wierzynski shared a cover performance of "Angel from Montgomery" to the band's social . That was an old band from the twenties. His friend Yanos Lustig composed the soul-blues ballad 'Let It Go.' The disc's only 'cover' is of Johnny Adams' classic 'Hell Yes, I Cheated.' Its not a song I ever planned on playing myself because her version seemed like the only one. Spent a lot of time there, but, no, I did not actually grow up in Poland. Coat of Arms of King Stanisaw I Leszczyski, Coat of Arms of Stanisaw I Leszczyski as King of Poland and Prince of Lorraine, Coat of Arms of Maria Leszczyska as Queen of France. That came probably about two, three, four years into my stay in the Bay. This band of expert musicians has created a sound drawing from virtually all areas of African-American music - early folk and New Orleans music, blues, gospel, R & B and soul, creating an excellent and unique style. We kind of went with a go with the flow kind of approach to it. You know, the Bay Are awas significantly cheaper then, so we could pay our rent just kind of busking. That's been great. All funds raised from the donation-based event will be split evenly between the artists on the bill and thePLUS1 COVID-19 Relief Fund. He directed over thirty films between 1959 and 2007. Spent some time with him for like half a school year, a couple years in a row. 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. And it was a cooperative. LW: Yeah, I took a lot of lessons for the trumpet. March 10///Carpenter Theatre///Richmond, VA* Among the descendants of Stanislaw Leszczyski were four Kings of France and Navarre, two Kings of the Two Sicilies, two Kings of Etruria, two Kings of Italy (simultaneously one Emperor of Ethiopia and one King of the Albanians), six Kings and one Queen of Spain, two Emperors of Brazil (simultaneously one King of Portugal and Algarve), five Kings and one Queen of Portugal and Algarve, one Emperor of Austria (simultaneously one King of Hungary), five Kings of Saxony, four Kings of Belgium, one King of Bavaria, two Tsars of Bulgaria, three Kings of Romania, one King of Yugoslavia, two Princes of Lichtenstein, two Grand Dukes and two Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, several Queen consorts and several titular Kings. The last couple shows were at the New Parish and at the Freight & Salvage one show for the partying children and one for the sit-down crowd, you know. 2005-2023The California Honeydrops, All Rights Reserved. Jazz musician Lech Wierzynski's bio, concert & touring information, albums, reviews, videos, photos and more. LW: I was born there and I lived there until I was only three. March 16///Detroit Opera House ///Detroit, MI* The California Honeydrops, Lech Wierzynski, Yanos Lustig - Spreadin LW: That came later. I just had the real basic ideas. In other words, there are elements of everything but the kitchen sink in their lush wall of sound and A Rivers Invitation is a ripe and fruity album thats equal parts cohesive and eclectic. He learned his vocal stylings from contraband American recordings of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Louis Armstrong, and developed them later at Oberlin College and in Oaklands club circuit. Singer/trumpeter Lech Wierzynski, a native of Warsaw, Poland, formed the California Honeydrops with drummer Ben Malament in Oakland in the late 2000s. So, that started right away. There is another unrelated Leszczyski family with the Abdank coat of arms. LW: Oh, man. All About Jazz musician pages are maintained by musicians, publicists and trusted members like you. In 2016 and 2017, the Honeydrops were honored to play with Bonnie Raitt on her North America release tour, and in the past have been privileged to support the likes of B.B. Wierzynski traded his semi-hollow body acoustic guitar for shakers to add a percussive element to the 1964 R&B classic . A 2004 move to Oakland, California, brought him into the center of one of the countrys top music scenes. Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories and includes a local jazz events calendar. His immersion in American culture was sought out and not inherited. 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 California Honeydrops bring vibrant energy and infectious dance-party vibes to their shows. "He passed on the love of old stuff to me: everything from Louis Armstrong to Sam Cooke." 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. 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 played there once before and it was a fun show. The Leszczyski family used the Clan Wieniawa arms, and their motto was Qui Lescynsciorum genus ignorat, Poloniae ignorat. They were magnates in the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth and later became royal family of Poland. Wierzynski built on his early base while studying ethno-musicology at Oberlin College. Lech Wierzynski. She is exposing us to so many fans. We didnt get too deep into that but we kind of loved and respected all of that stuff. (SOLD OUT) The California Honeydrops - Knitting Factory - Boise Theyre mostly the songs that we know. The California Honeydrops are a good-time band with an unmistakably Californian style, despite drawing on influences like Delta blues, gospel, and Motown. "Also because of the racial history of the music . May 5///The Foundry///Athens, GA And then the next album that came out the Like You Mean It record was crowd funded through Kickstarter. 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. The band has come a long way since Wierzynski and Malament started busking in an Oakland, California, subway station, but theyve stayed true to that organic, street-level feel. There's so much to learn just by watching her and listening to her play. California Honeydrops Live at Moe's Original Bar B Que, Tahoe - Archive Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. March 26///The Kennedy Center ///Washington, DC* Burns and Ssensalo would later leave the band, and the lineup would rotate relatively frequently as the California Honeydrops continued to tour and record for their Tubtone Records label in the 2010s. April 3///Knitting Factory///Brooklyn, NY And, yeah, that was how it all began. Lech Wierzynski is the Polish-born frontman and bandleader of The California Honeydrops. Music Reviews, Music News and Pop Culture. April 29///Bayou Theater ///Houston, TX* The California Honeydrops Cover Chuck Berry, The Drifters At - L4LM What can you tell me about the new album? I think spontaneity is the key to making great music, and that can happen anywhere. People think of us as sort of a retro band because of the sounds we use, but people who know music can hear that there's a lot of stuff in there just in the way we lay our beats and the bass lines, and just the way we put the music together that's actually pretty new. Although Chicago is very Polish. THE THIRD TIMES A CHARM: A NEW INTERVIEW WITH DONNIE VIE. He learned his vocal stylings from contraband American recordings of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Louis Armstrong, and developed them later at Oberlin College and in Oakland's club circuit. Whether in those high-profile performances or in more intimate venues where the band can leave the stage and get down on the dance floor themselves, the California Honeydrops shared vision and purpose remain: to make the audience dance and singand to give back. Shes a great artist. Antoni Lech Wierzynski (@thepolishhoneydrop) is on Instagram Click herefor a full list of participating artists. He played with Ray Charles. We started playing on the street, mostly. So, its pretty amazing. Old school. We tried to do our best with it. And I actually do feel like Ive got a mind for it in a way and I love producing the records. This is a song written by John Prine and made famous by Bonnie Raitt. The California Honeydrops | Vilar Performing Arts Center A modern blues band that tempers its retro inclinations with a contemporary flair, the California Honeydrops carved out a following on the international blues circuit in the 2010s. MM: When you were doing that were you just jamming, or were you doing covers, or had you already started writing songs? It's been out for a minute now. March 22///Chicago Theatre ///Chicago, IL* Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. Friday Night Sessions with Lech Wierzynski - 04-17-2020 MM: Youre on tour with Bonnie Raitt right now, but I understand you recently did a streak of 28 sold out shows of your own. We get to watch her every night and she's such an amazing performer. 3 and Honeydrops Live 2019; and their first-ever double-album, Call It Home: Vol 1 & 2, in 2018, which No Depression called a fun-filled, funky goodie basket for all occasions.. Lech Wierzynski Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Weve been getting better at it. More like parties than traditional concerts, their shows feature extensive off-stage jamming and crowd interaction. 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. The family had its greatest importance in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, when they were ardent supporters of Calvinism and turned their estates of Leszno and Baranw Sandomierski into major centres of the Polish Reformed Church.