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Fiona Boyes - Ramblified - Blue Empress Records - www.fionaboyes.com - Produced by - Fiona Boyes - www.blueempressart.com - Recorded - Melbourne , Australia

 

 

   "The essence of blues music is that it tends to be a shared experience . And there's something about having a physical product and comparing it , sharing it , being at clubs where you're not competing with the sports screens . Some younger generations have missed that experience of being in a hot sweaty club with music that's as invigorating as blues music is by nature." - Fiona Boyes

 

           Listened to this album on a rainy morning here in New Jersey , on my way to Home Depot , and I suddenly found myself  transported to the Crossroads in Mississippi , sitting at Red's , beer in hand , the ramshackle shack shaking , looking like it could collapse at any time under the sheer weight of the music being performed on stage , the guitar growl of Fiona Boyes cascading  throughout the crumbling juke joint . Suddenly , without warning , I was "Ramblified!"

         At the age of 44 Fiona Boyes found herself on the doorsteps of the blues , representing the Melbourne Blues Society in 2003 at the International Blues Competition in Memphis . Winning that contest in the acoustic division Fiona soon began to meet many of those iconic players whose recordings influenced her to become a blues guitarist in the first place . One of those she met was Pinetop Perkins , a true ladies man. Taking a break from recording together , meeting outside on a cigarette break , Piney said to Fiona,"I'd like to take you home,but I'd only make you mad, 'cause if you don't do what the woman wants , they get mad with you . And I can't do the things I used to do." Having known Pinetop I can certainly say that he was a true rascal , a blues dandy , a dog who never lost his bite(and one hell of a nice guy)!

          "Ramblified" - Taken from a quote by Son House that Fiona read in a book while quarantined during the pandemic , lines which were perfectly in tune with her life-"I wasn't content anywhere long...just loved to ramble. I was just ramblified , you know." - The 13th release from this Australian wunderkind finds Fiona Boyes more spontaneous , resulting from the relief and the joy felt when the hard lockdowns , from the world-wide pandemic , were finally lifted  and she was able to reconnect with long-time drummer and collaborator Mark Grunden , recording in Melbourne . ".......(T)his impromptu session is a celebration . A celebration of finally being able to cross long-closed state borders; of being able to get into the studio; of being able to catch up with a bandmate who lives 1,500 km away."  (liner notes). You can smell and taste the blues on this interesting musical journey , from the earthiness of the Appalachian Mountains to the rich and fertile soil of the Mississippi Delta . Her music defies the stereotypes and her instrumental artistry is strikingly unique. With a respect to the timeless blues traditions Fiona is also defiant and unafraid , adding her own colorful voice to the hues and tints that make up blues music . These are her stories , easily connecting with audiences through her music. Raw and emotional , hypnotic and mesmerizing , certainly honest and sincere . Fiona Boyes can certainly take every listener , every audience member , to a personal space , where everyone feels exactly the way the music feels . Not only musically terrific but  Fiona's voice conjures up plenty of mojo magic with an impressive range that is truly attention-grabbing . 

            ".....I enjoy the notion of different styles of blues which gives you other perspectives."

             " It used to kind of worry me because I'd think I'm trying to play blues like other people play it, but it just comes out - my fingers work somehow different . Something happens , and it just ends up being my version . Now I think that's a wonderful thing."

             " I'm married to an Anglican priest , and I play the devil's music . Thus, we keep the whole universe in balance , but Steve's actually a huge blues fan and always has been..."

              An inventive songwriter , Fiona performs her compositions on an incredible array of guitars , including a cigar box model built by her husband , Reverend Steve "The Preacher" Clarke , proudly displayed on the CD's cover , colorful decorations that Fiona painted in the folk art style . Her unique collection of guitars also includes many three-and four-string cigar box models , a National ResoLectric , and Maton Mastersound electric and acoustic guitars . 

             The delightful array of sounds throughout this finger-picking master work includes "dark" rattles, cane rattles,shakers , trash can lids , a Spider Lady vintage bass drum , "Mr. Thingy" - the percussion instrument that made itself , swamp field recordings , floor tambourine, tuba performed by "Phillbilly" Jenkins ( who knew that the tuba would become such a prominent part of so many recent blues recordings) and the unmistakable sounds of blues harmonica provided by the legendary Watermelon Slim. Two instrumentals showcase Fiona's love of unusual guitars - "The Revenant" and "Ramblified" - which spotlight "Tenner", her 4-string cigar box guitar.

            Fiona and her long-time percussionist Mark Grunden make a great team and are perfectly in sync . The blending of a lot of different styles - from the gritty streets of Chicago , to the fertile Delta , to the  hills of Mississippi  , with many surprises along the way , every listen is an adventure waiting to be explored . Most definitely become "Ramblified" , take the journey , and enjoy the twists and turns that this fun-filled , full-throttle , rhythmic odyssey and sonic adventure has to offer .  Absolutely Amazing and sooooooo good!!

 

Special Thanks.....Don Wilcock - Blues Blast Magazine - January 8 , 2016 - Featured Interview - Fiona Boyes

 

Special Thanks - Blues Music Magazine for their gift....and for producing such a wonderful magazine....BluesMusicStore.com

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