Hydra-Matic Drive showcases some of the the finest players in California Bluegrass music today. Sharing a love for traditional bluegrass music, Hydra-Matic Drive is a group of dedicated and experienced players who truly enjoy making music together. Featuring Mike Wilhoyte on guitar, Tom Bekeny on mandolin, Avram Siegel on banjo, and Karen Wilhoyte on bass, this band has a contagious groove and features exciting instrumental breaks and tight harmonies that are sure to please. Named after the first automatic transmission introduced in the 1940 model Oldsmobiles, and like the transmission, this band drives and shifts with a clear smooth sound.

Mike Wilhoyte on lead vocals and guitar has been playing and singing bluegrass well over 40 years and was raised in northern Ohio where he first got hooked on the ancient tones of Bill Monroe when he was only 13 years old. Mike has played with several California bands in the past 20 years including, Blue and Lonesome, and Roanoke. He is well-known for his driving bluegrass rhythm and tasteful lead playing as well as his soulful lead and harmony vocals.

Tom Bekeny, mandolin/fiddle, has been performing and touring as a bluegrass musician since 1974. He also teaches mandolin, has nine recording projects to his credit and has contributed to many other recordings along the way. He has appeared with Peter Rowan, David Grisman, Laurie Lewis, Jerry Garcia, David Nelson, Lowell Levinger (“Banana” of the famed Youngbloods), and banjoist Bill Evans. Tom plays regularly with grammy award winner Kathy Kallick and fiddle with High Country, one of the longest running traditional bluegrass bands in the U.S. In recent years he’s branched out into the jazz world and in 2013 released his jazz CD entitled “Jazzolin”. Tom plays mandolin in his straight-ahead jazz group, the Missing Man Quartet.

Avram Siegel on banjo and harmony vocals is widely regarded as one of the most original and exciting banjo players to emerge from California. Avram strives to keep his playing fresh and exciting while capturing the essence of the traditional Scruggs style.  Avram’s stylistic versatility and rhythmic drive has placed him in a wide variety of bands, from the Vern Williams Band and Peter Rowan to the Kathy Kallick band and True Blue.

Karen Wilhoyte plays bass and sings lead and harmony vocals. Karen discovered bluegrass while studying tropical biology in Costa Rica, where she befriended a banjo player. Karen developed her strong sense of groove and time growing up with the Latin rhythms and beats of Miami, Florida.  She plays in several California bluegrass bands including Lucky Drive, and most notably, The Hossettes.  Always smiling and laughing, Karen adds to the fun and engaging stage presence of Hydra-Matic Drive.