26052014 - C.W. Stoneking "Jungle Blues"

This album turned up on a list by some album cover artist of his own favorite album covers. And the cover is great - good enough to make me want to check out the music. With no idea whatsoever what to expect I put this on, and the first song out sounds like somebody who's either very much influenced by Tom Waits or one of Waits' own influences. So which one is it? Well, a quick internet search tells me that Stoneking has released two proper albums, this being the second, in 2005 and 2008 respectively. So the vintage sound is not from the 40's after all, but the yodeling, the balladeering and the soft blues moaning is just as authentic as anything you could ever have dug up from the archives. How Stoneking was still in his thirties when he sang this is beyond me, and so is the fact that he is Australian, and not from the Mississippi Delta or, at least, New Orleans. If anything, this reminds me of Taj Mahal's early records, and that's definitely a compliment! Do yourself a favor and check this out!