Fiona Boyes
Australian Blues guitarist and singer, Fiona Boyes, has been variously described by reviewers as a ‘musical anomaly’, ‘Bonnie Raitt’s evil twin’, or simply as ‘scaring the hell out of me’. How did this fair-haired gal, born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, of Scottish and English heritage, become an internationally recognised and awarded recording and touring artist? How did she come to be the first woman and non-American to win the International Blues Challenge in Memphis? Why did some of the great Mississippi Delta and Chicago blues giants, such as the late Pinetop Perkins and Hubert Sumlin, choose to describe her as one of the best women guitar players since Memphis Minnie, record on her albums, and share stages with her at international Blues festivals? How does it come about that the Mayor of Clarksdale, Mississippi, birthplace of the Blues, should present Fiona with the ‘Key To The City’, recognising her as an Aussie ambassador of the Blues?
The answer lays partly in Fiona’s striking and original talent; she writes, sings and plays just about anything in the Blues realm with passion and authenticity. It is also her immersion in the wide musical and historical traditions that make up the Blues and her deep love of the art-form itself.…
Fiona Boyes Reviews:
“Fiona Boyes is an amazing blues performer from Australia with a great husky voice and a love for unusual instruments.…” —Rhetta Akamatsu, BlogCritics
“Like her songs, most of which are her own compositions, each guitar has its own unique sound. … “Box & Dice” will do nicely to introduce you to the talents, both as a singer/songwriter and Blues guitarist, of Fiona Boyes. Because when you can write, sing and play like Ms. Boyes, it matters little where you’re from, her music speaks volumes. Universal Indeed.” —John Crossett
“… Boyes raspy voice is highly expressive. If you haven’t heard her lately, you must seek out this import.” —Richard Ludmerer, Making A Scene
“A truly excellent release from a guitar master of pure class.” —Iain Patience, Blues Magazine
“I love it when an “authentic” blues artist forces the blues police to re-adjust their judgment on the validity of that artist’s work even though that artist’s back story doesn’t fit the cliché of who a “real” blues artist should be.” —Blues Blast Magazine