As one who defended CW against vociferous criticism a couple of years back - all I can say is ...quality will always win out. Evidence of CW crossover appeal - he recently signed with Jack White's production company and has appeared on a Paul Mcartney tribute.
And then there is this review:
Friday, September 03, 2010
Americana UK - Live Review
C.W. Stoneking - The Borderline, London - 3rd August 2010
Review by Jonathan Aird
The unexpected pleasure of going to a gig you thought (for a long time) you couldn't make, and a gig that had been on my wish list for about 18months - Australia's C.W. Stoneking purveyor of the finest and purest hokum blues and jungle rhythms. But first, the supports. Stephen Smyth, another Australian, cut a messianic Jim Morrison figure with his biblical prophet's beard and moustaches. This was perfect for his roared blues over a raucous electric guitar and thunder crack foot stomping. He wasn't aping Morrison but he had that feel about him - wild powerful primal singing but fortunately without the drunken bozo aspects between songs. I was impressed; with a suitable band he would be devastating.
Second up was Nigel Burch on banjolele with violinist Dylan Bates, with a set of Bohemian music hall songs crossed with a ranting poet. The kind of thing that you either love or don't. Dylan Bates was an excellent improviser and had excellent little hippy dances.
C.W. Stoneking and his four piece band took the stage about 9:30. Stoneking resplendent in an all white outfit and a red bow tie, slicked back hair and bearing a tenor banjo and a metal bodied national guitar. I have strong feelings about the tenor banjo, but Stoneking more than any other performer is breaking these down.
There followed an authentic hokum jazz blues calypso experience. And not authentic in some overly precise and overly reverential way. Stoneking and his band play the music as if it's brand new, hot off the street. Of course they love this style of music - but not in the way that want to recreate it - this is a newly created music and therefore vibrant and powerful. Uplifting, amusing, unlikely and stomping the way it should be. And then there's Stoneking's voice - th e thickest mumbliest voice you are ever likely to encounter, as he regales us with unlikely tales of his adventures on the highs seas, or duets with himself. Add on top of this the stare - the disconnected 1,000 yard unblinking stare and the off mike mumbling as he manoeuvres himself through the instrumental breaks. It's magical.
A set almost an hour and half long, devoid of weak songs, and with some real standouts like Dodo Blues, The Love Me And Die and Don't Go Dancin' Down The Dark Town Strutters Ball. This last is introduced over eerie banjo before the band joins in with a strident New Orleans' jazz band funeral march. And although it's all wrapped up in pure hokum there's still the thrill of the melancholy menace in the opening chorus - "you gotta laugh, you gonna laugh real hard when she takes her love away / you gonna cry, take a look at yourself, there ain't nothin' you can say".
It's hard to believe that Dodo Blues isn't actually a cover with it's wonderful lilting lyric as sung (perhaps !) by the last ever Dodo bird - "Nothing, nothing can be right, when everything is wrong. Nothing can be wrong when I'm walking with my baby - I wish that I was". That Dodo sure has got the blues, but it's a pure sing-along joy.
And it was during one number, without the band, just Stoneking picking raw blues on the resonator guitar that it struck home that this was nearer to Robert Johnson than Eric Clapton has ever been - it's not just about technical mastery, it's about the feeling. And that's what C.W. Stoneking has, in bucket loads.
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