Holmes Brothers Review

With the big event coming up this Saturday featuring Odetta and The Holmes Brothers, you might want to read a review of The Holmes Brothers' latest album, "Simple Truths." Tickets are still available for the show, by the way. Check out the musical calendar for more information

Anyway, this is from the director of the NY Blues and Jazz Society:


The Holmes Brothers have been around since forming in 1979. They are a New York City band that has played all the local clubs including the recently closed “Bottom Line”, where during the early years they were an opening act. The Holmes Brothers (Wendell, Sherman and Popsy Dixon) have been nominated for three Handy Awards in the last three years and recently released their fourth album on Alligator Records called “Simple Truths”. The simple truth is that they are the best “roots rock” band around incorporating soul, blues and gospel harmony to formulate their own sweet sound.

“Simple Truths” opens with a wonderful Wendell Holmes rock song “Run Myself out of Town” and includes three other originals. “We Meet, We Part, We Remember” will become a soul classic, with its raw emotional power. “You Won’t Be Livin’ Here Anymore” and “I’m So Lonely” are the other originals. Their songs are often humorous and always uplifting.

The “covers” given the Holmes Brothers treatment, include Townes Van Zandt’s hymn like “If I Needed You”, Bruce Channel’s “Hey Baby”, a scorching version of Hank Williams’s “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”, Gilian Welch’s “Everything Is Free’, Willie Dixon’s “Big Boss Man”, Willie Nelson’s “Opportunity to Cry”, a revealing version of Bob Marley’s “Concrete Jungle”, and Brook Benton’s hit “He’ll Have To Go”.

The Holmes Brothers “Simple Truths” will probably receive a Handy Award nomination, it’s uncertain as to which category that might be in, and that’s part of the reason why they are so exciting and why you need to get this album.

Richard Ludmerer
Director, NY Blues and Jazz Society