The next act to be caught on Stage 1 was Luka Bloom. An artist of world renown, his name is part taken from a Suzanne Vega song and part from a James Joyce character in Ulysses, I'll leave you to work out which is which.
Originally hailing from Dublin, Luka first took off in the States and until recently had performed very little in Britain, so this relatively rare sight was still something of a treat. Musically Luka's a bit of a gypsy, taking an influence from here, a phrase from there before blending into something he can call his own.
There is a lighter edge to his sound than that of a lot of singer/songwriters, you almost feel he managed to capture a song whist there was still a twinkle in his eye and a muse dancing over his heart, though that's not to say his music lacks energy or punch, because it doesn't.
There's more than a touch of the wandering minstrel about him. His songs give the impression of someone that takes life as they find it and looks to enjoy whatever experience comes his way. His wide travels giving him plenty of source material from which to conjure up his songs.
He has a style that puts you at ease and which complemented that lazy Saturday afternoon. The only negative aspect of his performance was that it was all too easy for some of the songs to wash over you and be away before the meaning sank in. That aside it was an fine performance that managed to give all but the most stone hearted a little lift inside.
Gospel quartets are an almost mandatory first stage for blues artists and Joe Louis Walker & The Bosstalkers would appear to be no exception to the rule. Hailing from San Francisco, Joe's first appearance was with the Spiritual Corinthians.
There is still an undertone of gospel in the sound of Joe Louis Walker & The Bosstalkers, but at the heart is the blues. The outfit is tight, but not to the point where it sounds clinical, and it's easy to see how they've managed to pick up so many awards in the States.
Unlike many blues band, it's difficult to define the bands sound. Some of it is rooted in blues deep and beautiful past, but it doesn't linger there, it seems more to borrow from it and blend it with more modern aspects provided by the likes of Mike Eppley on keyboards.
The performance was entertaining enough, though it seemed to lack that edge provided by the likes of Larry Garner and last years sensation Keb' Mo. That said if you get the chance to see Joe Louis Walker and The Bosstalkers, then take it, against most blues bands they more than hold their own, it's only when compared to other blues acts that have frequented Cherry Hinton that they begin to pale.