Category Archives: Percussionist interviews

Sikiru Adepoju is a master of the talking drum and many other Yoruba percussion instruments. After moving to the San Fransico Bay Area in 1985, Sikiru joined the influential and pioneering Nigerian percussionist Babatunde Olantunji and his Drums of Passion. This marked a lengthy period of high productivity from Sikiru which saw him recording and performing throughout the world until a year before Olantunji’s death in 2003. During this period he was introduced to Grateful Dead drummer, Mickey Hart, who has called Sikiru “The Mozart of the talking drum,” and employed him on many of his personal projects including the Grammy award winning albums Planet Drum (1991) & Global Drum Project (2008). Sikiru has shared the stage or recorded with many of music’s finest including The Grateful Dead, Stevie Wonder, Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana, Ornette Coleman, Airto Moreira, Zakir Hussein, Pharaoh Sanders, Dave Schools, George Porter Jr., and many more. It is his versatility, skill, good humor, and willingness to push the limits of his drumming and his music which has gained Sikiru acceptance and respect among his peers and music listeners of all tastes. Now, in 2020 Sikiru brings us a new album titled “Ope (Gratitude)” with the group dubbed Riddim Doctors on MansMark Records.

I had the honor of spending a little time with Sikiru recently to discuss the new album. We get into the long and winding journey this music has taken, along with Sikiru, in order to make it out to the world. We talk about the incredible process and the amazing people behind the album’s sound and style. Including the role, Zakir Hussain played in the process. We also spoke about what he was able to learn, as a master when he started to talk with, work with and create with both Babatunde Olatunji and Mickey Hart. it is within this portion of the conversation that I knew Sikiru and I were connected by the bridge of the moment, finding your space within each of those moments. It’s times like this that remind me why it’s not just about the sounds, it’s about those who bring them to us just as much. While I have been close to him via his previous recordings and projects and that has helped me grow as a listener and sharer, this new music brings all that back plus, a sense of the now where this music, this sentiment is needed.

We have been fortunate enough to have Victor DeLorenzo be a part of the show in many ways. From Femmes to the Drum-n-Cello of Nineteen Thirteen to the open aired radio plays of “Frail Pagans”. This time around we have a chance to discuss a new spoken word project he is putting forth to the world. Check out the chat below for more into the thoughts and execution of the Spoken Drum project and hear the voice from within the instrument.

TRACKS LISTING:

head
coffee
run
civil rights
cry
lovely
bow
world
if

Produced by Victor DeLorenzo

*Recorded and Mixed at Sympathetic Muffler
and The Past Office in Milwaukee by Victor

**Text and Light Music by Victor
with Janet Schiff and Josh Schmidt

***All pieces c&p 2020 Defendimusics bmi

Victor: Drum Sets, Snare Drums, Cymbals, Voices, Keyboards,
Bass Keyboards and Percussion.

Janet: Bass Keyboard and Cello on “civil rights”
and Keyboards on “head”.

Josh: Cello Orchestra Arrangement and Recording
on “civil rights”.

Available now here.

“Como De Allstars” is the title track from a surprise Greyboy Allstars studio album which dropped July 3. Self-described boogaloo revivalists, the band’s first new music in seven years captures a relentless Caribbean funk groove buoyed by an inspired message of unity: “Surviving in a bitter world…divided, confused by the states…united, come on friends we’re gonna make it brighter.” The quintet initially formed in 1994 to provide a live band alternative to the rare groove DJs who were spinning records from the dusty catalogs of labels like Blue Note and Prestige, as well as, the lighter funk of English acid jazzers playing to loops and samples. Comprised by saxophonist Karl Denson, guitarist Elgin Park, organist Robert Walter, bassist Chris Stillwell and drummer Aaron Redfield, Greyboy Allstars debuted with the revelatory and electrifying LP, ‘West Coast Boogaloo,’ featuring James Brown trombonist Fred Wesley as a special guest. Coinciding with the band’s forthcoming new album, reissue label Light In The Attic Records will deliver a fresh pressing of the long out of print ‘West Coast Boogaloo’ on August 7. Greyboy Allstars have slowed their recording and touring schedule down considerably over the years as demand has grown for individual members in other capacities: Mike Andrews (aka Elgin Park) is renowned for his film scores, including most recently ‘The King of Staten Island,’ Karl Denson tours as the saxophonist in The Rolling Stones, as well as his own Tiny Universe, Robert Walter plays keys for Phish bassist Mike Gordon and fronts his own ensemble 20th Congress, while rhythm section Chris Stillwell and Aaron Redfield are in demand sessions players whose resumes stretch from Elton John to Charli XCX. The magic between the five musicians returns instantly, however, when reunited—as ‘Como De Allstars’ so convincingly displays.

I had a chance to catch up with Robert Walter to talk about the new album and the re-issue of one of my favorite Greyboy albums. We do some comparing and contrasting, diggin’ into a few tracks and the growth of the players and the band, and just how it is they are able to get all the cylinders firing as if they never skipped a beat. We learn a little about what Robert has been doing with his “lockdown” time, kids…don’t be surprised it has everything to do with fundamentals and we build a set-list toGether which will lead the listeners to want him there more than they want me. I have to admit, Robert is one of those players for me that when I hear him, I know it is him and my joy level instantly rises. Just like when I tune into this new release.

A select member of jazz’s piano pantheon, Fred Hersch is an influential creative force who has shaped the music’s course over more than three decades. A fifteen-time Grammy nominee, Hersch has long set the standard for expressive interpretation and inventive creativity. A revered improviser, composer, educator, bandleader, collaborator and recording artist, Hersch has been proclaimed “the most arrestingly innovative pianist in jazz over the last decade” by Vanity Fair, “an elegant force of musical invention” by The L.A. Times, and “a living legend” by The New Yorker. For decades Hersch has been firmly entrenched as one of the most acclaimed and captivating pianists in modern jazz, whether through his exquisite solo performances, as the leader of one of jazz’s era-defining trios, or in eloquent dialogue with his deeply attuned duo partners. His brilliant 2017 memoir, Good Things Happen Slowly, was named one of 2017’s Five Best Memoirs by the Washington Post and The New York Times.

Mr Hersch’s latest project:

Esperanza Spalding & Fred Hersch: Live at the Village Vanguard – Rough Mix EP, the five-song EP from visionary vocalist, bassist and songwriter Esperanza Spalding and iconic pianist/ composer Fred Hersch. They released the EP on Friday, May 29 exclusively for download through Bandcamp, with all proceeds benefiting the Jazz Foundation of America’s efforts to assist members of the jazz community impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A live rough mix with no edits, the EP will be available for purchase only through the end of June 2020. It’s available for a minimum of $17, with additional donations encouraged on a pay-what-you-wish basis. Purchase the album here: https://esperanzaspaldingfredhersch.bandcamp.com.

I had the honor of chatting with Mr. Hersch shortly after the new EP dropped on basecamp about how the original live shows went down. He was quick to point out how different this recording will be for those who are used to hearing Esperanza Spalding playing the bass and doing her thang that-a-way. For these shows and this recording, we are treating to her vocal-stylin’s as the feature. We dive into each track with some story telling and flow, the kinds of things that take a song deeper into us. We talk about the struggles, the real and true struggles for the arts, the artists and the people who enjoy these things in their lives and how going out and getting this new EP treasure is a small step in helping support. Mr. Hersch is kind enough to let us know some of the things he has been doing to stay going in these times…adaptations, technology etc on the new/next moments ahead. Thank you for showing your support for the music you/me/we love.

Friend of the program and my brother, Victor DeLorenzo has a brand new stunner of an EP out to sharpen your senses and bring you to a place you remember, or maybe didn’t know you needed to be in. Victor is of course half of the drum and cello duo, Nineteen Thirteen (he’s the drum half) these days, but he has never stopped doing his own things, musically, artistically and humanly. When you find this new EP on one of the many platforms I am sure you find music at, you’ll immediate hear and feel a sense of that old Violent Femmes magic. That sound and feeling is the tranceaphone, I am sure of it. Victor reminds us what that instrument is, which Femmes track you might remember it from and how it lends itself on this brand new release. We get into how the idea to put out a solo effort took share, with the support and door opening from the first lady of cello, Janet Schiff. If this happens to be your first brush with his music, good for you, there is no time like now to start listening in and going back in time to catch up on anything you may have missed. With the uncertain times we are in now, there is a need to find something to fill a void and I personally think, as Victor does that you can never be alone a Tranceaphone.

A funny thing happened to Joey Alexander over the past five years, a whirlwind period during which he became the most brilliantly precocious talent in jazz history—that is, a renowned festival and concert-hall headliner; the youngest musician ever nominated for a Grammy Award in a jazz category; and a media favorite who’s earned a profile on 60 Minutes, a front-page profile in the New York Times and other premier coverage. As heard on WARNA, his new major-label Verve Records debut, he’s simply become one of the most expressive and thrilling pianist-composers currently at work in jazz. Alexander’s precocity can still stun concertgoers, but his music, including original work and personalized interpretations of great songs, has now taken its rightful place in the spotlight. Translating as “color” from Alexander’s native language of Bahasa, WARNA follows four Motéma Music albums that garnered the pianist three Grammy nominations and such honors as historic critics’ and readers’ poll victories in DownBeat and JazzTimes. But whereas those recordings were documents of an extraordinary young musician in development, WARNA is primarily a collection of reflective, moving new music by an experienced, confident bandleader. He arrived in New York as a lightning bolt in the spring of 2014, performing at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s annual fundraising gala. At the helm of a packed-out theater containing some of Manhattan’s most elite arts benefactors, he dropped jaws with a remarkably lyrical rendition of “’Round Midnight.” A standing ovation ensued, and he hasn’t slowed down since. The following spring, the New York Times wrote in an enthusiastic profile that “For a jazz pianist, the mastery entails a staggering breadth of knowledge about harmony, rhythm and orchestration, all converging in an eloquent synthesis. Joey Alexander has a handle on a good deal of that.” From there, he went on to receive three Grammy nominations, with two of Alexander’s four previous albums topping the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. His live performances have been equally celebrated. At the 58th Grammy Awards, in February of 2016, he played during both the pre-telecast and the primetime TV event. That same year, Joey also performed with Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding for the Obamas at the White House, as part of a nationally televised International Jazz Day special. In 2018, Alexander headlined Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater with a 20-piece string section orchestrated and conducted by Grammy nominee Richard DeRosa. On October 18, 2019, he made his triumphant Carnegie Hall debut to a sold-out Zankel Hall crowd. Early on in Joey’s ascent, the trumpeter and Jazz at Lincoln Center leader Wynton Marsalis said that “there has never been anyone … who could play like that at his age.” Marsalis, who essentially “discovered” Alexander via his YouTube videos and invited him to New York, was spot-on in his assessment. But today, in light of WARNA, one could extend their judgment to say that Joey Alexander continues to perform at the highest level.

I had the chance to catch up with Joey about the creation of Warna. We got into how the album grew from the seed of an idea into the flower of sound I get to share with the listeners. We talk about how the musicians that join him were either selected or how they continued the musical conversations they had started earlier. Like I told Joey offline, Warna is an album I have been really happy to advise advise my pals who may not have stumbled onto it themselves to go ahead and when you feel like you need a Sunday morning to breathe, hit play and sink in.

Night after night at their live shows, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal leave it all on the table, bringing crowds palpably authentic music. This is a real working band; music for the people, by the people. You hear the veracity in his voice. You hear the strife of a guitar amp being pushed to its limits. You hear keyboards hammering notes home while emboldened horns soar over the top of a rhythm section akin to a freight train. The raucous funk and smooth soul emanating from the stage dutifully pays homage to the past soul giants while simultaneously charging forward, piloting themselves into the modern era. This is soul music. Josh formed Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal in 2012 in famed blues town Lincoln, Nebraska. The award-winning five-piece band includes some of the area’s most revered and accomplished musicians. Joining Josh (keyboards/vocals) is Blake DeForest (trumpet), Mike Keeling (bass), Benjamin Kushner (guitar), and Harrison ElDorado (drums). Inspired by the sounds of Stax, Motown, Muscle Shoals, New Orleans, Philly and San Francisco, the band continuously crosses musical boundaries both in style and era, and joins forces each show with a common goal – to have the crowd dancing so much they forget even their smallest troubles. Through all the years now and the many destinations and opening for and playing with all sorts of musical talents, 2020 is bringing more tour dates and some brand new tunes to gather the people together, and help them move and groove it all away.

I had the chance to catch up with friend of the proGram, Josh Hoyer ahead of the February 29th show in Madison at The Knuckledown Saloon. Josh and I talk about what kinda scene will be happening whenever he and Soul Colossal roll into town. Josh really diggs coming through Madison to make music and he gives a real sweet tip of the cap to Chris and the Knuckledown crew as well as sharing that we will get to taste some of the newmusic that is in the works. We discuss the creation of one of those new tunes and find out more about the label he’s working with to put it out. Find out why Color Red, the label of another friend of this program, Mr. Eddie Roberts gets some high praise and deservedly so. And of course, if I was throwing a share a vinyl with my ears party…..it may not be a surprise what album you could expect Josh to bring to the fun.

No one knows where the train will take them. It’s one you jump on out of the curiosity and excitement of the unknown. The very wonder of what the stars and the spirits will conjure on any given jubilee. And what the hell is a High Hawk? The High Hawks, is a new all-star project comprised of friend of the proGram Vince Herman (Leftover Salmon), Adam Greuel (Horseshoes & Hand Grenades), Chad Staehly (Hard Working Americans), Brian Adams (DeadPhish Orchestra), and Will Trask (Great American Taxi), will bring their blend of Americana, jam, and bluegrass music on the road.

The High Hawks will come together with friends including Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth) and Chicago Farmer for their inaugural run of live shows. The band’s fall run began with a performance at Boulder, CO’s Fox Theatre on October 18th, followed by stops at Denver, CO’s Cervantes’ Other Side (10/19); Fort Collins, CO’s Aggie Theatre (10/20). After a short break to soak it all in, they head to Milwaukee, WI’s The Back Room @ Colectivo (11/7); Peoria, IL’s Spirit of Peoria (11/8); La Crosse, WI’s La Crosse Distilling Co. (11/9); and Madison, WI’s High Noon Saloon on November 10th.

I had the opportunity to catch up with Chad Staehly ahead of the November 10th show in Madison at the High Noon Saloon. We talk about how the dip your toe in the water of the first couple of Colorado shows went and what type of momentum they are building on with each note played. We talk about the mission of the band and answer the question, “Just what is a High Hawk?” LoHi Records is a place where Chad (and Tim) are putting a lot of their energy – so learning a bit more on what they are up to and who they are working with really puts a pin in the music map and we find out what tunes/artists Chad would choose if he was to build a setlist for the listeners. Chad and I run in some of the same circles, so the setlist building conversation led us to talking about how artists can find support they need with any if their struggles. Platforms such as Backline and and Music Cares are some of the resources we discuss.

Charlie Wooton and I go back a ways now. I have covered many of his projects over the years and when you get that kind of longevity, the feeling of pride gets shared when something really truly special happens. With the latest release, “Blue Basso”, I believe that moment is here. When I first met up with Charlie, he was based out of Atlanta and formed the progressive dance band Zydefunk while maintaining his ‘The Charlie Wooton Project’ for his more experimental cross-generic work combining jazz,rock, blues and world music. During this period he played with a diverse group of musicians including Count M’Butu, Oliver Wood, Donny McCormick, Sean Costello, Grant Green Jr., Jeff Sipe, Rev. Jeff Moser and Willie Green. Home called and Charlie headed back to Louisiana where he has become a sought after sideman with some of the best ear-opening talent from the area, including Bonerama, Sonny Landreth, Zigaboo Modeliste, Johnny Vidacovich, Cyril Neville, Chief Monk Boudreaux, New Orleans Suspects, Big Sam’s Funky Nation and so many more. As the bassist for Royal Southern Brotherhood over a four year period Charlie recorded four CDs and wrote several of their tunes. I covered Charlie’s ZabaDuo project with percussionist Rafael Pereira, which explored the world of Brazilian music, and led to the Charlie Wooton Project’s Zabadodat. Around 2015 Charlie joined the New Orleans Suspects, replacing founding member and friend of the proGram, Mr. Reggie Scanlan. All along, Charlie’s desire to honor one of the gods of bass, Mr. Jaco Pastorious. I think with Blue Basso, he has started to stretch his fingers and abilities to write and create into the same language that Jaco was speaking.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Charlie about the creation of Blue Basso from the ideas to the sound stories I get to share with the listeners. Charlie gives major props to the many people who helped make this vision into a musical reality. From, Doug Wimbish to Eric McFadden….Arsene DeLay to Daniel Groover, the list of contributors is as relevant as the music. It’s my belief that these songs could not have been made so brilliantly without the right pieces. Charlie and I discuss what role friend of the proGram, Samantha Fish had in the process as this new release is put out on her Wild Heart Records label.

Cycles brings the power-trio format at you with a ripping guitar, fat bass grooves played out through furious slapping, and dynamic drum beats flowing over intricate tempo changes. Each member wields a unique take on their instrument that when played together, forms a truly fresh and cohesive sound. Patrick Harvey commands the guitar with speed and precision while using his loop pedal virtually as its own instrument. Michael Wood has subtly forged a drum style that showcases his ability to mashup funky hip-hop beats with frenzied rock riffs and displays his flashy technique when necessary while implementing the creative use of various sound-modulating drum triggers. At the heart of the band lies Tucker McClung’s dominant slap-bass chops that captivates audiences & pumps the musical blood through the band. Drawing influence from artists such as Rage Against the Machine, Primus and Weather Report, Cycles fuse an eclectic blend of genres to produce a fresh and original sound. Just in the infancy state still, this band has over 250 shows under their belt with tours extending across the entire U.S.A.

They will make a stop in Madison on March 7th at the High Noon Saloon and I was able to chat with drummer, Michael Wood for a bit about the show, the band and the new live album. We get into what new ears to this band could expect from the upcoming event. We talk about how this band is a live band currently and why it was natural to put out a live album, brand new release “Selections, Vol. 1” dropped mid-February. Michael talks a little about his love of great studio albums and perhaps how that influences the next steps in growth for the band.

Beat-driven. Employing heavy elements of funk and soul, Paris Monster closes the gaps between synth-pop & garage; between modern detail and old-school grit. Solid earth. Soaring soundscapes. A mass of noise. Volatility. Vocal singularity. In fall of 2017 they began recording their first full length LP, set to be released in 2018. The album will solidify their dirty, glitchy, lyric-centered, groove-based sound, and will be a milepost in their search for a focused and flexible musical approach. The elements of funk and soul join with lyrical themes of bygone eras in rural settings, characters lost, and mortality confronted. Love achieved, and denied. Americana. Themes in stark contrast to the pounding grooves and electronic mayhem, creating depths and dimensions that could have been otherwise achieved only by dropping a modular synth in the corn fields of central New York or the woods of Connecticut. And maybe that’s exactly what happened. And then the album dropped.

I had the chance to chat with this diverse duo, Josh Dion and Geoff Kraly of Paris Monster about their brand new release, “Lamplight”. We got into how the album got it’s wings to soar, and how this duo got it’s beginnings. We speak about their upcoming gigs with a Madison funky favorite, Turkuaz and what these cats might potentially share with my listeners if they were given the opportunity to take over the proGrmaming of greenarrowradio. I have a feeling if you check out their live show, I will receive tons of thank you cards in the mail. Go ahead. Test that.

Photo By Samuel Fava

Grand Funk Railroad laid the groundwork for such bands as Foreigner, Journey and Van Halen with its signature hard driving sound, soulful vocals, muscular instrumentation and forceful pop-rock melodies. The fact that Grand Funk’s legacy still reigns over the Classic Rock landscape forty years after its 1969 birth in Flint, Michigan is a testament to the group’s influence and staying power. Internationally acclaimed Grand Funk Railroad has toured the world, selling out in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and South America. A 1971 performance at New York’s Shea Stadium even sold out faster than the Beatles. The group’s widespread appeal is also evident in its prestigious recording achievements. Over their career, Grand Funk has had 19 charted singles, 8 Top 40 hits and two Number One singles (We’re An American Band and Locomotion, both selling more than one million each). The group has now accumulated 13 gold and 10 platinum records with record sales in excess of 25 million copies sold worldwide. The most recent gold CD award was presented to the band for their greatest hits package Grand Funk Railroad The Collectors Series. This top selling and legendary American rock group of the ‘70s is “COMIN’ TO YOUR TOWN TO HELP YOU PARTY IT DOWN.” Grand Funk Railroad is extremely excited to be touring in 2018 marking a 49 year milestone. After playing to millions of fans on the band’s tours from 1996 to 2017, Grand Funk’s 2018 Tour will continue to reach both new and long-time fans.

I had the honor of talking with founding member and legendary drummer, Mr. Don Brewer about the multi-talented band that will be coming to The Dodge County Fair in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin on August 18th. Mr. Brewer shares with me what to expect at a 2018 show from the classics everyone is familiar with all the way to tunes no one has head before. We discuss some of the differences between the then and now of the business and what advise he would give to emerging artists. The story behind one of the most played songs out there, “We’re An American Band” is walked through from idea to necessity all the way to how it is at the tips of most of our musical minds. Check out out chat to find out what Mr. Brewer and his wife enjoying doing with some of their extra time and what two bands Don would play to the listeners if he had control over greenarrowradio for a bit.

Photo By: Jim McGuire

Sunny Jain is an American dhol player, drummer, and composer. He is recognized as a main voice in the burgeoning movement of South Asian-American jazz musicians. His seven albums have all received international acclaim for their “groundbreaking synthesis” (Coda Magazine), as he brings together the ancient sounds of his cultural heritage, America’s greatest original art form and a myriad of other sounds. In 2008, Sunny founded the Brooklyn Bhangra band Red Baraat. In 2011 Red Baraat performed over 100 club shows and festivals across the world, including Bonnaroo Music Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, and a performance at the White House and the Paralympics closing ceremony in London. The title track from their debut album, Chaal Baby, was used as the background music for commercials during the TV show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. After the group’s performance at the 2011 globalFEST, they were featured on PRI’s “The World”, NPR’s “All Songs Considered”, The New York Times, The Village Voice, and Mother Jones magazine. With a new album freshly out and more gigs lined up, Red Baraat is building a brand new musical bridge that is sure to bring people from everywhere closer together.

I had the chance once again to chat with my man Sunny fr all the right reasons. He is bringing Red Baraat back to Madison on August 16th to close of the Central Park Sessions – The Globetrotter Sessions. We get to find out about how the sounds of the band and personel have changed over time and where it stands as they prepare to make musical moments happen with us in Madison. We learn a little about the variety of places the band has gone and how open people are to a potentially very unfamiliar groove. Sunny shares the artists he would share to the listeners if given the opportunity to take over greenarrowradio, and man, you all will really like him as your host. Not only will we get to hang in person, but there’s a brand new album from the group, “Sound The People”. We dive into the how these songs were born as well as the many special guests/friends perfectly chosen to represent the bridge building that I believe is a sonic guide to a more tolerant world. Sound the PEOPLE, indeed

Photo By: Mark Jaworski

The Claudettes fuse Chicago piano blues with the full-throttle energy of rockabilly and punk and the infectious spirit of 1960’s soul to write a thrilling new chapter in American roots music. Johnny Iguana, who pounds the sound out of his piano has toured for years with his cult-favorite rock band Oh My God, is also a member of the Grammy-nominated groups Chicago Blues–A Living History and the Muddy Waters 100 Band. He has toured and recorded with Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush and more. The band recorded their brand new album, “Dance Scandal At The Gymnasium” with Grammy-winning producer Mark Neill (Black Keys, Paladins, Old 97’s, J.D. McPherson). It was released March 23, 2018 on Yellow Dog Records out of Memphis and on April 13 in Europe/UK on Continental Records Services.

I had the opportunity to catch up with Johnny recently to talk about what newcomers to this band and this sound can expect on May the 5th at The North Street Cabaret for a CD release party and aGain on May 28th at the World’s Largest Bratfest in Madison. We definitely dive into the creation of the new release and how it went from seed to flower, and not only does Johnny fills with pride when talking about his bandmates and he does the same when talking about many of his influences. The music the Claudettes create on stage is something to witness, as it is not easily wrapped into a box or tucked neatly into a genre…it is a sonic experience for open minds and ears that want to notice.

The Claudettes

The California Honeydrops celebrate their tenth year together with the release of their 7th studio album and first ever double album, “Call It Home: Vol. 1 & 2”. Even with this fresh release, they continue to tour worldwide. This band draws from 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 all their shows. They’ve taken this party all over the world, playing festivals 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. 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 with everyone, the California Honeydrops’ shared vision and purpose remain: to make the audience dance and sing.

I had the chance to chat with Ben Malament, drummer and co-founder of the group, about the band’s upcoming show on May 9th at the High Noon Saloon. We get into what an unexpected audience member miGht expect from their first time at a Honeydrops’ show. We dive into the brand new release, “Call It Home: Vol. 1 & 2”, and how they laid down the double album I am so pleased to be able to share with listeners. I was thrilled to hear abut the touring, and sharing times had with Bonnie Raitt, it’s a nice peek into the window of her coolness. Ben takes a few moments to lead us to some rare grooves that he would share with the audience of greenarrowradio if he were given the chance. This band is hot, and the burnin’ feels so good.