KALIOPI & the BLUES MESSENGERS celebrated our one year anniversary – to the day – performing St Kilda Blues Festival after officially launching at the Glenmaggie Blues & Roots Festival 2022 to vibrant receptions. In that time, the band has supported some of our country’s blues icons for Double Trouble Blues Sessions with a team of seasoned and sort musicians – From the video shoot pictured and performing the launch are Lisette Payet, piano; Justine Jones, horns; Gordon Gunn, double bass; and Greg Rowan, kit; with Kaliopi, voice and guitar.
What are your influences and inspiration?
Powerful blues women and men, locally and from Asia-minor to Memphis. Kaliopi & the Blues Messengers have honed in on the works of Memphis Minnie as a fundamental mentor and the line of powerful women in blues since pre WW. We have developed their unique texture using the fretless bass like a sousaphone with flavours of early Dixieland piano, weaving clarinet blues licks and Delta Blues guitar over swinging groove shuffles topped with Kaliopi’s powerfully soulful vocals.
Kaliopi wrapped up decades of performing and recording predominantly rock with the release of Love Loss & Mental Health 18 track compilation CD before focussing on the blues. Years spent working with the best blues musicians and producers in AUS, USA and her native Greece have stamped a mark on Kaliopi’s powerful blues guitar and vocals and the micro -tones from explored exotic scales. Now producing their debut studio album showcasing the new texture and powerful women in blues.
In between band shows, Kaliopi has been regularly jamming and headlining the Blues Jam Clubs and Association Circuit (including, Melbourne Blues Collective, Blues Roulette, Eastern Blues Association, 90 Miles Blues, Hume Blues Club, Elwood Blues Club, Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society, and Stingoes Blues Jams). Kaliopi & the Blues Messengers plan to showcase and tour their release in 2023.
