Groove Holmes Speaks Plain and Funky
Holmes swings hard on the organ, letting the blues talk louder than any liner notes could.
Tell It Like It Tis hits you with immediate warmth — Richard "Groove" Holmes at the organ, laying down thick, soulful grooves that sit somewhere between church and the corner bar. The rhythm section locks tight beneath him, and the whole thing breathes without strain. Holmes doesn't overreach for cleverness here. He plays blues-based organ jazz that feels lived-in rather than studied, the kind of session where everyone knows the language and nobody needs the instruction manual.
Recorded across 1961 and 1962 but not released until 1966, the album captures Holmes in his element — funky, direct, and entirely comfortable in his own pocket. This is not avant-garde exploration or harmonic innovation. It's solid, swinging organ jazz that prioritizes feel over flash. The organ tone is full and present, and Holmes lets his solos breathe, never chasing technique for its own sake. The blues changes move under him like muscle memory, and the result is accessible without being lightweight.
For listeners who love organ jazz but want something unpretentious and genuinely groovy rather than technically dazzling, this delivers. Holmes doesn't command the kind of critical attention that Jimmy Smith does, but Tell It Like It Tis proves he didn't need to. The album simply does what it promises — lets the music speak straightforwardly, with conviction and swing.
