By Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
TORONZO'S BLUES
"The blues stereotype is a man, his guitar
and a story. It’s all about the feeling, not the
technicality.” That’s how Chicago bluesman
Toronzo Cannon sums up the essence of
blues music amidst an industry that places a
premium on image and blues guitar bombast.
As a long-time follower of the Jimi Hendrix
blues model, Toronzo is quick to explain that
guitar strutting is not his focus. “To me, it’s all
about the story and the guitar comes later,”
Together or Get Apart”, marries Jimi’s riffs
with an evocative tale of trying to hang onto
a crumbling relationship. The title track,
however, is enough of a masterpiece to justi-
fy buying the entire album. Borrowing from a
“Curtis Mayfield kind of vibe,” and adding
riveting social commentary, it’s easily his
most unforgettable tune to date. Referencing
the three characters who all capture followers
by weaving words and dreams that aren’t
Toronzo Cannon
he said. His new album, The Preacher, The
Politician Or The Pimp ( Alligator) lays out this
formula in a perfect, 12-song package. The
follow up to his critically acclaimed Alligator
debut **The Chicago Way, the CD showcases
his sharp songwriting as well as his fretwork,
digging deeper into contemporary issues and
offering up a tasty slice of 21st-century blues.
A veteran of the Chicago blues scene for
over 20 years, Toronzo Cannon’s story has
grown as noteworthy as his fiery blues guitar.
A CTA bus driver who gathers song inspira-
tion during the day and tours the blues scene
at night, he’s crafted a sound that’s recogniz-
able for its influences as well as his insights.
“Every guitarist wants to touch the hem of
Jimi Hendrix’s garment and be saved,” he
explained about his hero and musical influ-
ence. “But as Bruce (Iglauer) says, people
don’t go home humming a guitar solo;
they’re humming a song. Ronnie Earl plays
guitar that speaks to me, and so does Son
House. But I don’t want to see that on stage, I
want to feel it. That’s what I try to do with my
songs that tell stories that are illustrated with
my guitar.”
When he was growing up on the South
Side just a few blocks away from the leg-
endary Theresa’s Lounge, he didn’t know
that he’d one day play with some of the icons
that played the club. Listening to his Uncle’s
Little Walter records and absorbing all of the
music that streamed out of Theresa’s, he
developed a solid blues foundation. He took
up blues guitar in his 20’s and studied mas-
ters like Hendrix, Muddy Waters, Albert
King, Albert Collins, and Hound Dog Taylor
by watching videos. He played in bands and
performed as a sideman all over Chicago for
years. Soon, he was paying homage to the
icons that influenced him not by imitation,
but by learning from their examples and
telling contemporary stories that reflect the
joys and struggles of life.
The Preacher, The Politician Or The Pimp
announces Toronzo as Chicago’s ultimate
blues storyteller. The blazing intro “Get
18 illinoisentertainer.com november 2019
always true, the song cleverly analyzes con-
temporary life on many levels. “There’s an
Easter egg in that song,” he said of the tune’s
layered wordplay. Crooning over a mellow
groove, Toronzo unfolds scenes like a cascad-
ing waterfall; “Put a dollar in my hand/I’ll
take you to the promised land/ if you put
your faith in me/I’ll save your soul/I got the
key/your eyes are closed/but you think
you’re blind/I’m in control/I got your mind/
Am I a preacher/a politician/or a pimp.”
“I think people are wanting more songs
that are non-traditional blues,” Toronzo said
of his songwriting process. People want to go
beyond four bars. Too many blues songs are
the same subject wrapped in different
clothes. I’ve always been an advocate of orig-
inal blues songs.”
“Insurance,” a shuffle with Billy Branch
wailing on the harp, falls into the original cat-
egory. A humorous take on the need for
affordable health care, he declares. “I need
some insurance/cause I’m too young to
die...I need a CAT scan? I can’t afford that,
how about a kitten scan?” Another highlight
is a breezy ballad cradled in restrained guitar
riffs, that cuts into the political and social
landscape, “Silence of My Friends.” Calling
out the toxic landscape of insulting women
and standing back as people protest injustice
Toronzo charges, “Don’t sit and act/like you
don’t know/ the silence helps evil grow/you
kill evil at the root/cause people will
do/what you let them do.” For the startling
finale, blues queen Lynne Jordan joins in for a
wrenching tale of domestic violence “I’m Not
Scared.” The Preacher, The Politician or The
Pimp inspires thought and a good time with
thoughtful songwriting.
“It’s just really important to write your
own songs,” Toronzo said. “If you don’t have
no blues in your everyday life, you need to
put your instrument down; you’re bluesless.”
Appearing on November 30 at Untitled
Supper Club in the Merchandise Mart,
Chicago.