Congratulations to our keyboard player, Kathie Holmes, who is currently featured in the national magazine, Big City Rhythm and Blues.
“Kathie Holmes has been playing blues since about 2016. She feels she’s a latecomer to the blues scene (I might disagree.. hehehe). Her aunt had a piano in Mississippi and she would play on the keys and figure out the songs by ear. That’s really how she got started at the age of 5 years old. She started formal lessons in fourth grade and continued into high school playing piano in a number of musical genres, majoring in classical piano and flute. She attended her first blues jam in the ATL and that is all it took because it just felt like what she wanted to do. Kathie plays multi-keyboards, sings as well as plays flute, yes you heard me right Kathie can play blues on the flute, a blues flutist extraordinaire! She states playing from the soul on the flute just brings out the best of the blues in her and her surroundings like nothing else. Her mentors and idols would certainly be her piano professor in college because he believed in her and encouraged her to continue her career along with the amazing Ike Stubblefield and Grant Green Jr. Likewise Victor Wainwright, Jon Cleary, Marcia Ball, and Kelley Hunt are some of Kathie’s inspirations. She credits and is grateful for the Atlanta Blues Society’s (ABS) monthly jams and events as well as venue jams. She is a principal in the Nashville Songwriters Association where she composes and encourages writing songs and helping others in writing, and playing in festivals are some of her goals. Kathie is a member of the annual ABS “Women in Blues” Tunes by the Tracks jams at Stone Mountain, GA., she participated in the IBC “Women in Blues Show” a few years ago, invited to perform in a set at the Big Bender fest this year, playing with her daughter who sings and plays guitar, and her latest band is “Blue Velvet Atlanta” an all-woman band that is one great blues band. Kathie is like a sponge, soaking up the live music scene and learning more and more every day, which is why she is such a treat to see perform. Kathie keep on doing what you do because the blues is in your soul.”
Carlin “C-Note” Smith
Big City Rhythm & Blues
December 2022-January 2023
Thank you to Carlin “C-Note” Smith for the great article!