At a live taping of Oh Yeah?!, the regional talk show filmed at FloridaRAMA in St. Petersburg, house band the Oh Yeah-Yeahs got the crowd grooving with their funky sound.
The band’s had lots of practice — nearly 26 years — because they’re also known as The Black Honkeys Band, Tampa Bay’s beloved soul/R&B and funk act who’ve played stages big and small throughout the region for decades.
Founder and frontman “Brother Phil” Esposito’s dynamic personality made him the Paul Shaffer to host David Downing’s Letterman.
Esposito said being the house band for their friend’s show is an “exercise in discipline” for the timing and abrupt stops and starts.
“We do the same thing we do for a long time,” he said, “and you can get complacent and comfortable, and everyone says, ‘Oh, you guys are great. We love you.’ There’s a point where you do it so often that sometimes it’s not challenging. So something like that show can be very challenging.”
The Black Honkeys Band formed in September 2000, with Esposito, guitarist Joe Sanders and bass play Wil “The Thrill” Harris. By New Year’s Eve of that year, with the addition of drummer Mike Hammer and a keyboard and saxophone player, they played their first show at the now-shuttered Club More in Clearwater.
Early on, the band wanted to have a Motown, early Rolling Stones vibe, with a bluesy-rock Black Crowes-style sound. It was always their intention to make and play original music and pepper their shows with cover songs, Esposito said.
The band’s name comes from an affectionate nickname Esposito got growing up in Clearwater in a mostly Black neighborhood. He said that even though he’s had other bands — he was the frontman for the popular Red Hot Chili Peppers-inspired Freaks Rule — he felt it was appropriate to name this one The Black Honkeys because of its diverse lineup of Black and white members.
“We’re doing mostly R&B and Black music, I call it, because everything comes from the blues,” he said. “I have no qualms saying that without Black man’s blues, there would be no rock and roll.”
One year in, drummer Steven Tanner joined and is still in the band. A fateful meeting with keyboard player Tommy Thompson proved fortuitous and they became a five-piece. They became well-established at that point, Esposito said.
By playing more gigs, they caught the attention of the agent Dennis Bailey, who got them the coveted gig playing the popular Blue Martini bars in Tampa. They added saxophonist Ronnie Dee — son of the legendary Joey Dee of the Starlighters fame.
In 2005, guitarist Greg Czinke joined and with that lineup, they became the “darlings” of the Blue Martini circuit playing at locations throughout the state. They added a female vocalist who has since left and horn section Terry Clark (trumpet) and Scott Myers (trombone), who are both still in the band.
After a few years Dee left to play with the Greg Billings band and Thompson tragically died. But Esposito said everyone in the current lineup has been in the band for at least 15 years.
Guitarist Billy Summer, who played with Esposito in Freaks Rule has been playing with the band since 2006. Esposito calls him “the golden boy” and a “critically acclaimed local rock legend.”
Vocalist Nicole Simone and keyboard player John Dash Dixon joined in 2011. Renowned percussionist Gumbi Ortiz is an unofficial member who joins on occasion, when he’s not busy touring with Al Di Meola.
“Every person that I’ve played with — because they were all such great musicians as I came through the ranks — was almost an acknowledgement by the universe saying ‘you’re on the right track,’ because these talented people are believing in you enough to risk their reputation and allowing me to front a band with these uber-talented people,” Esposito said.
The band has recorded multiple albums of original music which is available on Spotify and Apple Music. They had the opportunity to record with Ortiz’s son, the esteemed producer Rook Flair of the powerhouse production company J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League.
Ortiz also arranged for the band to play with the legendary Cyril Neville of The Neville Brothers on their original song, “Pumpin’.” The Black Honkeys also appeared playing an original song in the film “The Plus One,” which was filmed in Clearwater.
Esposito is not only the frontman, he books all the shows and makes arrangements for the band, such as having their equipment set up for them and getting deposits. Appearances mean a lot to him.
“Joey Dee … always told me, If you act like you deserve it, you’ll get what you want,” he said. “Perception is everything. If you have to pay to arrive in the limousine to look like a rock star, then you do that.”
Just before the pandemic hit, Esposito planned a small tour for the band, traveling on a proper tour bus. But when COVID-19 shut down those plans, he used the money as The Black Honkeys stimulus program to pay the band members.
Esposito’s passion and professionalism are likely the reasons why the bands current lineup has endured.
This 10 piece line that we’ve had has been very stable for quite some time. We’re still doing what we’re doing, just having a good time. There’s lots of interesting, fun things still happening,” he said. •
