Redwing squarely falls in the “way more than a Bluegrass Band” category, mixing the traditional repertoire of Bluegrass favorites with surprising and less-often heard gems.

The players are seasoned and active participants in the Bay Area music scene. Redwing members have played all the local major venues, Freight & Salvage, Jupiter, Armando’s, McGrath’s, Berkeley Spice of Life Festival and even the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival.

It all starts with the instrumentation: Alan Dreyfus on guitar, Bob Johnson on dobro, Olivier Zyngier on bass, Polly Frizzell on fiddle, and “Red” Rick Horlick on Mandolin. Yes you read correctly: no banjo. But don’t fret, the players’ musical dexterity allows them to deliver them hard driving numbers just the same; foot tapping guaranteed. On slow numbers, you’ll sometime hear Polly’s deep viola notes, in perfect harmony with the dobro.

Vocals are one of the main attractions of the band. Whether as solists or harmonizing, Rick and Alan go from the traditional high lonesome harmony and singing, to rich soulful singing. Alan’s bluesy voice and Rick’s high tenor blend to produce a very powerful combination. And then Polly joins in for a 3-part harmony, way sweet…

The ingredient that spices up the Redwing sauce is the arranging. You’re as likely to hear old bluegrass standards as well as more modern country songs. Traditional fiddle tunes are played as fast and expertly as expected, and may often surprise you with a tasty new approach. And you haven’t lived until you heard Redwing’s rendition of Cold Frosty Morning or Raleigh & Spencer.

Redwing will delight your ears and provide good fun and entertainment in all public situations, ranging all the way from stylish weddings and corporate parties, to dances, sit-down concerts, festivals and seedy bars gigs.

– Olivier Zyngier.

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The Band

Alan Dreyfus: Guitar, Vocals
Alan is a bit of mystery. He has been spotted playing bass, but even he is not sure it was in this life, or a previous one. In this life and on this planet, Alan provides stunning vocals and plays rhythm guitar in Redwing. He currently travels to gigs and rehearsals all the way from Emeryville, California. When not busy practicing new vocal techniques, he spends his days as one of the foremost historic preservation architects in the U.S.

Bob Johnson: Dobro
Bob Johnson began music when at the age of 8 he fell in love with his  blind violin teacher. After a stint on the v iola he joined a Mexican band in high school where he learned to keep the bass line going while breaking up fights at wedding gigs. He continued music later on when he was an artist and professor in New Mexico and played banjo regularly in the rocking town of  Las Cruces. Eventually he became a fireman and fire chief and moved to Oregon and Washington where his band was boo-ed off the stage by a mob of bluegrass hating Moose Lodgers. This did not deter him. He now teaches art to pediatricians in the East Bay and provides Redwing with his beautiful dobro licks.

Olivier Zyngier: Bass
Driving, walking and slapping the big double bass, Olivier brings a certain je-ne-sais-quoi to Redwing. Originally from Paris (not Texas), he started his musical career as a bluegrass guitarist, then tickled the mandolin strings, and finally settled on the bass as his main instrument. His musical background spans swing, french traditional music, eastern european funky rythms, haunting klezmer and more, in modestly famous bands such as the Baguette Quartette, The Mandorian Candidates, Way Blonde, and more recently, Swing Tonic. In Redwing, Olivier channels his eclectic tastes into penning new arrangements of traditional material.

Polly Frizzell: Fiddle, Viola, Harmony Vocals
Polly Frizzell  has  worked as an artist in the Bay area for a reeely long time. She inherited a fiddle about 15 years ago and dragged it to the famous taco jam in Oakland with great trepidation. For quite a long time she could only remember the tune “Forked Deer” which she had learned as a young hippie in the 60′s. The energy of the East Bay bluegrass scene quickly became addictive and she found herself practicing five hours a day. She travelled to Oregon to study with Laurie Lewis a number of times (even though Laurie actually lives down the street from her in Berkeley). About 12 years ago she formed a duet with Bob Johnson called “fretless” and eventually they began playing in various bands around town. Redwing is her musical home at this time.

“Red Rick” Horlick: Mandolin, Vocals
“Red Rick” Horlick, a multi instrumentalist, plays mandolin for Redwing, and provides lead & harmony vocals. Rick has been a lifelong aficionado of various instruments and musical styles. His knack for phrasing and his pure tenor vocals are invaluable to the band. His love for pure high lonesome bluegrass keeps Redwing from straying too far off the course. Rick has been in bands since the early seventies, he’s been a member of well known performing bands such as, Nom DeJour, Straight Ahead, Bump City Bluegrass Band, & The Blue Moon Brothers. Rick has recorded with Journeys rock legends Ross Valory, George Tickner, & Stevie Keys Roseman & guests, on their VTR Cinema project. Rick makes his home in Hayward, California.