Huney Knuckles
Featuring the left hand keyboard bass wizardry of Kevin Wong along with the indomitable pocket of Darian Gray (touring drummer for Booker T Jones for the past 14 years), the Huney Knuckles are undisputedly known as "the best band in the bay right now", elevated to electifying heights by the lighting fast solos of virtuoso guitarist Brian Sheu along with the world class musicianship of grammy award winning saxophonist Tony Peebles. Fusing watertight grooves with high energy shreds that will make you want to jump out of your seat, this 4-piece instrumental powerhouse has made a huge noise in the local scene, serving up soulful compositions, mind bending solos, & insanely funky jams at the highest level possible.
In 2023, they released their 1st album "Huney Knuckle Scuffle", recorded at the legendary Hyde Street Studios with famed producer Otis McDonald after touring in Tokyo, Japan in April 2023 with bassist Kenji "Jino" Hino (son of Terumasa Hino), saxophonist Patrick Bartley & drummer Fuyu Murata. Since then, they have been busy in the studio recording with legendary saxophonist Eddie M (Prince, Sheila E) & renown vocalist Tony Lindsay (Santana, Maze) releasing singles monthly from their new live video series "Loft Sessions" recorded live at the home of keyboardist Kevin Wong. You can find their latest music, video, and live video releases on Spotify, Youtube & Instagram respectively, as well as hear them at their residency at Madrone Art Bar in San Francisco every 4th Thursday (now bi-monthly).
Meet the band:
Kevin Wong is widely regarded as one of the best keyboard bass players this side of the Mississippi, pulling off mind bending solos with his right hand while seamlessly holding it down with his left. With an ear as sharp as a hawk, Kevin brings an unprecedented level of energy & musicality to the bandstand that speaks well beyond his youthful appearance & soft spoken demeanor. With a soulful yet highly calibrated approach, Kevin takes audiences on a ride every time he plays with his unique playing style that is heavily steeped in funk but with a jazz & gospel mentality.
Kevin was one of 33 SF Bay Area musicians to be awarded a grant from San Jose Jazz’s Jazz Aid Fund initiative in 2021. He is also the newest member of the Jazz Organ fellowship & is the instructor for the first ever Keyboard Bass class at the California Jazz Conservatory. In 2020, Kevin headlined the Drumeo festival in Vancouver with drummer Tommy Igoe, as well as at the Nakasu Jazz Festival in Japan with Kenji "Jino" Hino (son of Terumasa Hino) in 2019. Currently Kevin is the keyboardist, bandleader & composer for his newest project, the Huney Knuckles, as well as the keyboardist for Tommy Igoe & the WIM Trio, Lyrics Born, Jazz Mafia, Tony Lindsay & Collectivity.
Brian Sheu is a session guitarist based in San Jose, California; moving back the the bay after studying at Musician’s Institute in Los Angeles with luminaries such as Scott Henderson (Chick Corea, Tribal Tech), Allen Hinds (The Crusaders, Bobby Cadwell), Doug Rappaport (Edgar Winter), and Alex Machacek (Planet X, CAB). He is most well known as a staple in San Jose band the iLLiance, as well as a co-founder of funk fusion band the Super Soul Bros. He can also be heard all over the bay area playing everything from jazz, to hip-hop and prog rock. No matter where he goes, he is sure to bring an exciting blend of flashy pyrotechnics and soul.
Tony holds an MM in Jazz Performance (Saxophone) from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and a BA Music (Theory), University of Pennsylvania. He is a featured soloist on Grammy-winning album "PMO" by Pacific Mambo Orchestra. Tony has performed with Fred Wesley, Lenny Williams, Tommy Igoe, Karl Perazzo, Kenny Washington, John Lee Hooker Jr., Doc Severinson. Toured Europe, Africa, South America, and Australia with reggae legend Don Carlos and New Zealand's Katchafire.
Drummer Darian Gray‘s precise, deep-pocket style has made him a first-call session and touring pro — not just in his home state of California, but across North America and beyond. Supporting such luminaries as Cee-Lo Green, Booker T. Jones (of Booker T and the MGs), Ledisi, and Goapele, Gray has appeared on The Jay Leno Show and Live With Kelly and Michael (Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan). Gray’s international tours with artists such as Anthony Hamilton, Lyrics Born, and the Grammy-winning Fantastic Negrito have taken him to Australia, Japan, South America, and dozens of European countries.
His rock-steady, right-on-the-money grooves earn Darian Gray those in-demand gigs, and they are grounded in deep roots. He developed those hard-earned beats over decades of Sundays playing in the church. He picked up the sticks at age two, and was out gigging by the time he was six. He keeps his gospel chops sharp to this day, laying down the bedrock for the Oakland Center for Spiritual Living (OCSL) and the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir(OIGC)
Atop that solid foundation, Darian Gray has continued to innovate and expand his music repertoire. As an MC, he is able to rap while drumming – and not just straight fours, but in remarkably syncopated and sophisticated rhyming styles. Gray also sings, and he earned a degree in classical piano and percussion from Cal State East Bay. With his own band, Dynamic, Gray writes, raps, and sings. This multi-faceted approach to the drum throne gives Grey a dizzying variety of options across different genres
His other touring gigs have run the gamut stylistically – from banjo-driven country rock with Tony Furtado, to classic soul with Sugar Pie DeSanto, to future-funk with Martin Luther, to scrappy, high-energy rock with Jack West. Gray takes pride in being a quick study. His ability to learn detailed, varied, multi-set shows quickly and accurately has helped spread his reputation among managers and musical directors. Whether you need a rock-solid ringer in soul, funk, rock, gospel, or pop, Darian Gray is the first drummer you want to call.