“I think music and musicians’ role in society is to make the listener feel something. It may be an escape from everyday’s woe and strife or a reason to reflect. It may be for entertainment, to make you get up on your feet and make you dance. Some music may encourage you to think. Sometimes it could even be a call to action. Music can be the soundtrack of a moment worth remembering. It can express in a simple melody what 100 words struggle to say.”

Sherman Holmes: An Exciting and Unique Voice, One Step Ahead Of The Blues

Born in New Jersey in 1939 and raised in Virginia, Sherman Holmes launched his musical career in 1959 as a founding member of The Holmes Brothers. The band built a devoted following throughout New York and the tri-state area before signing with Rounder Records in 1989, a deal that propelled them to international acclaim. They later joined the Alligator Records roster for five more releases and, in 2014, received a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship — the nation's highest honor for traditional artists. Following the deaths of bandmates Willie “Popsy” Dixon and Wendell Holmes in 2015, Sherman channeled his grief into new work, forming The Sherman Holmes Project and releasing The Richmond Sessions in 2017. Now, at 87, he returns with “One Step Ahead of the Blues” (Nola Blue Records), a new collection that includes two previously unrecorded Wendell Holmes originals, along with a fresh take on The Holmes Brothers' “I'm So Lonely” that came together in the first take. Slated for release October 9, 2026, One Step Ahead of the Blues will be available on CD, limited-edition vinyl (Bandcamp exclusive), and digital formats. “Our goal was to make an album that would appeal to Holmes Brothers fans by mixing up a stew of blues, gospel and R&B,” says producer Andreas Werner. “I knew that my studio band, the Funky Chester Rhythm Section, would be the perfect band to bring the project to life.”

(Photo: Sherman Holmes / ‘One Step Ahead of the Blues’, artwork by Anessa Arehart, Nola Blue Records)

Recorded at Nashville's legendary Creative Workshop, the album features Lynn Williams on drums, Paul Ossola on bass, Harvey Thompson Jr. on keyboards and Werner on guitar.The Blind Boys of Alabama add their voices to bring an additional gospel dimension to the music, while the Muscle Shoals Hornsround out the ensemble. From the beginning, it was Sherman's wish to bring in Catherine Russell, Joan Osborne, Ada Dyer and Amy Helm— the women the Holmes Brothers lovingly christened the “Honorary Holmes Sisters.” Each brought her own beautiful voice and spirit to the project. “Sherman Holmes is the real deal, a true blues philosopher,” Werner says. “It has been my honor and privilege to collaborate with him on this album and to call him my friend.”

Interview by Michael Limnios                    Archive: Andreas Werner, 2026 Interview

Special Thanks: Andreas Werner (Crazy Chester) & Sallie A. Bengtson (Nola Blue) 

What keeps you passionate after five decades in Soul, Blues and Gospel music? Why is it important that we preserve and spread the blues? 

From a very young age, music was my outlet to express myself and also a way to do something fun with a group of friends. My brother Wendell and I started playing at our Cousin Herman’s juke joint in Virginia and there was no looking back. After attending college for a while, I hit the road with an r&b group as soon as I could. I recruited Wendell as soon as he was out of school and the rest, as they say, was history! My joy for making music has been fueling me for all my life. Being able to share that love with your family was extra special.

The blues is the roots of it all. There’s a saying that beautifully states that a river that forgets its roots dries up. I would encourage any musician and listener to dig a little bit deeper and learn about the roots of whatever music you listen to. Without the blues there’s no rock & roll, no soul and no hip hop. It’s worth a journey up the river.

How do you describe your sound and songbook?   

I don’t really like to think in categories too much. A good song is a good song. Then you put your heart and soul into it and out comes your sound. Wendell and I wrote a lot of our songs but we also covered songs that ran the gamut. We incorporated songs from Willie Nelson to Gillian Welch, from Bob Marley to Bob Dylan and from Bruce Channel to Creedence Clearwater Revival. The way our voices blended together made our sound. Nobody really sounded too much like us. For this new album, we tried to incorporate many of the things that we used to do in the Holmes Brothers. There’s some Gospel, there’s plenty of blues, there’s some r&b/soul with horns. We used to use horns a lot on our early albums. A couple of times I thought it was the Holmes Brothers playing with me in the studio when I closed my eyes. I know that Andreas learned some licks from Wendell and I know he found a group of musicians that was sympathetic to what the Holmes Brothers used to do. Of course, no-one can ever be the Holmes Brothers, but I was truly touched by the love and care they brought to the project.

“The blues is the roots of it all. There’s a saying that beautifully states that a river that forgets its roots dries up. I would encourage any musician and listener to dig a little bit deeper and learn about the roots of whatever music you listen to. Without the blues there’s no rock & roll, no soul and no hip hop. It’s worth a journey up the river.” (Holmes Brothers, Sherman, Wendell and Popsy recorded some of the most eclectic roots music during the almost 40 year run of the Holmes Brothers / Photo by Stefan Falke)

What moment changed your life the most?

When Wendell and Popsy died within months from each other, the bottom fell out from under my feet. We had done everything together for so long and not having them around anymore, took the wind out of my sails completely. It took me a long time to recover and I still miss them terribly, but I’m also glad to keep making music and carry my brothers with me whenever I do.

Why do you think that the Holmes Brothers music legacy continues to generate such a devoted following?

I think we were very dependable. We always showed up on time, tried to be easy to work with and give it all we got once the stage lights were on. We also truly loved one another and I tend to think that that also translated to our audience.

What’s been the highlights in your career so far? 

The Holmes Brothers got to travel to 60 countries and we’ve been able to play to so many wonderful audiences all over the world. We played in Africa which was special since its our roots and we played for many dignitaries including President Bill Clinton. Sharing the stage or the studio with many amazing artists like Willie Nelson, Odetta, Van Morrison or Peter Gabriel was a treat too, but also passing along a few things we know to younger artists like Joan Osborne and seeing them grow on their own. But most of all, spending all this time with Wendell and Popsy, my family. We never had an argument, we just truly loved each other. 

“Every generation has their current sounds to express themselves. The sound of the street may not be the blues everywhere but there are traces of the blues to be found anywhere. There are a lot of wonderful young people playing the blues out here in Virginia and all over the world that makes me optimistic about the future of the blues. But whatever music it is, if it comes from the heart, it reaches the heart.” (Andreas Werner & Sherman Holmes / Photo © by Jim Hegan)

Do you have any stories about the making of the new album One Step Ahead of the Blues?

We did most of the preparation at my house in Virginia. Andreas (Werner) would visit me for a few days at a time and we’d go over songs we could do. I think he initially wanted me to write most of the songs myself but I just didn’t seem to be writing much at the time. I was never a fast writer, unlike my brother Wendell who could churn them out quickly. We even found a couple of Wendell’s songs on a demo that we decided to do. I knew Andreas was a great writer himself so I asked him to play me a few songs and I pretty much fell in love with everything he presented to me, so we decided to do a few of his songs to round out the album. We recorded the tracks in Nashville. I would stay at Andreas’ house and we’d work in the studio during the day. We had a wonderful group of musicians in the studio that played great and were fun to be around. I hadn’t really met them before but we fell in with each other instantly. I think you can tell by listening to the record. Andreas was really well prepared so we accomplished a lot in the studio, especially since we got really great performances out of everyone in the first or second takes. These Nashville and Muscle Shoals guys sure know their way around the studio!

What is the role of music and musicians in today’s society?

I think music and musicians’ role in society is to make the listener feel something. It may be an escape from everyday’s woe and strife or a reason to reflect. It may be for entertainment, to make you get up on your feet and make you dance. Some music may encourage you to think. Sometimes it could even be a call to action. Music can be the soundtrack of a moment worth remembering. It can express in a simple melody what 100 words struggle to say.

How easy or difficult is it for the younger generation to relate to the blues?

Every generation has their current sounds to express themselves. The sound of the street may not be the blues everywhere but there are traces of the blues to be found anywhere. There are a lot of wonderful young people playing the blues out here in Virginia and all over the world that makes me optimistic about the future of the blues. But whatever music it is, if it comes from the heart, it reaches the heart.

Sherman Holmes - Home

(Sherman Holmes / Photo by Andreas Werner)