Preview

A very welcome return for the fabulous Holmes Brothers who gave us a fantastic show last December, despite the sad loss of Wendell and Sherman's mother just a couple of weeks earlier. They had a 200 plus crowd dancing, singing and swaying to their wonderful mix of blues, gospel and soul, and although they had only flown in from a private function in Amsterdam that very morning, drummer Popsy stayed up with us until 3am. These guys certainly know how to party!

Those who know and love gospel-drenched soul music know and love The Holmes Brothers. Originally from Virginia but based in New York City for almost 40 years, Sherman Holmes, Wendell Holmes and Willie "Popsy" Dixon create some of the most spiritually uplifting and down-right funky music today. The Holmes Brothers effortlessly mix soul, blues, gospel, R&B and country into a sound Billboard described as "utterly astounding". Their breathtaking harmonies resonate with a passion and conviction matched only by their superior musicianship. They’ve played with Peter Gabriel, Van Morrison, and Joan Osborne, and have gigged all over the world-even performing for President Clinton.

Their last CD, Speaking in Tongues, was produced by multi-platinum superstar Joan Osborne (who also sings backup vocals throughout). With Osborne at the helm, along with Grammy-winning engineer Trina Shoemaker (Sheryl Crow’s The Globe Sessions), The Holmes Brothers created a contemporary album of spiritual soul music. Throughout SPEAKING IN TONGUES, the sweet gospel harmonies and classic soul shouting drip with authenticity and passion. The interplay of voices and instruments borders on telepathic. Mixing original songs (Speaking In Tongues, New Jerusalem, Jesus Is The Way, Jesus Got His Hooks In Me), traditional material (King Jesus Will Roll All Burdens Away, Farther Along) and songs by Ben Harper (Homeless Child, I Want To Be Ready, I Shall Not Walk Alone), Bob Dylan (Man Of Peace), and Gamble & Huff (Love Train), SPEAKING IN TONGUES is an uplifting journey through a hybrid of American musical styles.

Sherman and Wendell Holmes were born and raised in Christchurch, Virginia. Their schoolteacher parents fostered the boys’ early interest in music, as they listened to traditional Baptist hymns, anthems and spirituals as well as blues music by Jimmy Reed, Junior Parker and B.B. King. They both sang in the church choir. Sherman studied clarinet and piano before taking up the bass, while Wendell learned trumpet, organ and guitar. Sherman studied composition and music theory at Virginia State University, but in 1959, he dropped out and headed to New York for a promising job with a singer named Jimmy Jones. His younger brother Wendell joined him after completing high school. The two brothers played in a few bands before forming The Sevilles in 1963. The group lasted only three years, but they often backed up touring artists like The Impressions, John Lee Hooker and Jerry Butler, gaining a wealth of experience. After The Sevilles disbanded, Sherman, Wendell and fellow Virginian, drummer Popsy Dixon, continued to play in a variety of Top 40 bar bands until 1980, when The Holmes Brothers band was formed.

Rooted in blues and gospel, The Holmes Brothers developed a sound unto themselves. The rhythmic foundation laid down by Sherman Holmes’ bass playing and Popsy Dixon’s drumming perfectly compliment Wendell’s hard-driving guitar solos. But even more gripping than their instrumental prowess is their amazing three-part harmony singing, mixing Wendell’s gruff and gravelly vocals with Popsy’s soaring falsetto and Sherman’s rich baritone, creating a multi-layered and ornately textured sound. DownBeat described their singing as "nothing short of heavenly".

Since their debut on Rounder Records in 1989, The Holmes Brothers have worked virtually non-stop. In addition to their four critically acclaimed Rounder albums, they released Jubilation for Peter Gabriel’s Real World label in 1992, becoming the first American group to record for the standout world music imprint. In 1994 they joined Van Morrison in the studio on the song That’s Where It’s At for the Real World compilation album A Week Or Two In The Real World. 1996 found The Holmes Brothers starring in the independent motion picture, Lotto Land, for which they also recorded the soundtrack. The albums all received massive praise. "Mind-blowing", said the Boston Herald. "Rich and satisfying", raved The Washington Post. In 1997, Joan Osborne asked The Holmes Brothers to be her backing band when she opened for Bob Dylan.

The Holmes Brothers have appeared on Late Night With David Letterman and National Public Radio’s Mountain Stage. They’ve been the subject of features and reviews in Rolling Stone, Billboard, Newsweek, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Examiner, and countless other publications. They’ve toured all across the globe (including numerous tours sponsored by the U.S. State Department), and never fail to win over audiences everywhere they play.

"Inspired, warm and soulful. One listen and you’ll adopt this family as your own." - Rolling Stone

The Holmes Brothers are the real thing: rugged, honest and undeniably soulful. What one hears in these voices is something round, real and even by turns ecstatic." - People

"When they called me and asked me to produce, I was so flattered. Their sound is greasy, sexy and slyly ferocious. I found myself marvelling at the ability of these three men to create their raw, beautiful noise." -Joan Osborne