kaliopi & the Blues Messengers
Kaliopi & the Blues Messengers recently celebrated their 2nd anniversary headlining the International Women’s Day Blues Music Festival presented by Double Trouble Blues Sessions. A quantum leap since celebrating their 1st anniversary performing at the 2023 St Kilda Blues Festival after officially launching at the Glenmaggie Blues & Roots Festival in 2022. Currently in preproduction for their follow-up album melting the Louisiana pot influences with greatest guitar speakers, performing to vibrant audiences and followers building from their debut album ‘Blues For Minnie’ receiving international recognition, validating reviews and festival invitations.
They have a solid sound, they are tight as they give the listener an old-time sounding set of tunes done up with a fresh perspective.” Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Steve Jones, president of the Crossroads Blues Society USA
Drawing from the great delta blues tradition of powerful blueswomen, Kaliopi & the Blues Messengers launched their debut single 'When the Levee Breaks' in December 2022 dedicated to the people of Northern Rivers and Lismore floods, followed with their single. 'Troublin' Blues' in March 2023 (both with official videos). In May they released a 3-track EP, Highway #9 Studio Sessions' including ‘Kissing in the Dark’. Their debut‘Blues For Minnie’ features two originals, one Koko Taylor homage, and seven thought provoking metaphors from Memphis Minnie selections.
Kaliopi & the Blues Messengers developed their unique texture building on Jug Double Bass, with Dixie-like Piano, weaving Clarinet, and Delta Guitar over Louisiana shuffles and rumbas, cradling Kaliopi's soulful vocals.
In 2022, Kaliopi & the Blues Messengers became the host band for Double Trouble Blues Sessions to support some of our country's national blues icons such as Geoff Achison, Ian Collard, Jimi Hocking, and Steve Sedegreen as well as support to unearth some of our country's treasures such as Women In Blues (MBAS), Willy J (Bad Books) and Aaron Pollock. Kaliopi & The Blues Messengers regularly perform the Blues Circuit around Melbourne and greater Victoria, NSW and ACT, and now have been invited to travel the nation and abroad to tour since the release of their debut ‘Blues For Minnie’. Kaliopi & the Blues Messengers honed in on pre-WW delta blues and arranged the works of Memphis Minnie as a foundation having developed their unique texture using the fretless and double bass building from Jug Delta Bass, adding flavours of early Dixie-like piano, weaving clarinet blues licks, and Delta Blues guitar over shuffling brushes and skin waks, topped with Kaliopi's powerfully soulful vocals.
In between band shows, Kaliopi has been regularly jamming and headlining the Blues Jam Clubs and Association Circuit (including, Research Blues Club, Gippsland Rhythm & Blues Club, Rokewood Blues Club, Bendigo Blues Club, Melbourne Blues Collective, Blues Roulette, Eastern Blues Association, 90 Miles Blues, Hume Blues Club, Elwood Blues Club, Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society, and Stingoes Blues).
