C.W. Stoneking starts every performance with one key thing: a show-stopping smile. This charming Australian blues musician played at Cheltenham Jazz Festival in the UK, in May 2012, just when I was attending the whole event. I walked up to the stage where he was meant to be performing, unsure of what was about to happen, and shortly after he started playing, I knew I had definitely made the right choice in coming there.
This guy is absolutely emotional magic. He brings out so much in his playing, and his classic hits 'Jungle Blues' and 'Rich Man's Blues' reverberated around the audience. Listening to him was entirely nostalgic and full of feeling and life - it felt like hanging out on the porch on a summer evening with a cup of hot cocoa and your best friends all around you. It's very homely music, but there's so much talent behind it that you can't help but feel completely drawn into it all.
I really don't think I could have enjoyed C. W.'s performance any more, he was everything a blues singer ought to be. Charming, emotional, talented, and unafraid to improvise on the classics. An absolute joy to watch and listen to.
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