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DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 PM | SHOW BEGINS AT 8:00 PMNOTICE REGARDING COVID-19: The Hamilton Live requires concertgoers to show proof
of COVID-19 vaccination, or a negative test result no more than 72 hours old
before entering the venue. We will accept an original CDC Vaccination Card, or a
digital photo of this card, along with matching photo ID. Additionally, per
District of Columbia mandate, all guests are required to wear face masks indoors
regardless of vaccination status. For more information or questions about your
tickets, please reach out to us at [email protected].
For any wheelchair or ADA needs,please contact the Box Office in advance of the
performance at (202)-769-0122.
TORONZO CANNON
[http://www.bettyelavette.com/]
"Deep, contemporary Chicago blues…razor-sharp guitar and compelling, forceful
singing" –Chicago Tribune
"Cannon is at the front rank of Chicago bluesmen. He creates wide-screen modern
arrangements for wry,thoughtful songs, molding an ensemble sound that’s both
tempestuous and scrupulously controlled." –MOJO
Chicago bluesman Toronzo Cannon defies all expectations. The blistering
guitarist, soulful vocalist,singular songwriter and city bus driver fuses his
muscular, rock-inspired blues guitar playing with his original, keenly detailed
slice-of-life songs, blazing his own blues trail. With the 2016 release of his
Alligator Records debut, The Chicago Way, Cannon burst onto the international
stage as one the most electrifying bluesmen to emerge from Chicago in decades.
His live performances unfailingly earn him heaps of critical praise and hordes
of wildly enthusiastic fans. Cannon has played major cities all over the U.S.,
Canada, and Europe. He recently performed for the first time in Japan,
delighting and surprising audiences with one unforgettable gig after another.
Now, with the release of The Preacher, The Politician Or The Pimp, Cannon builds
upon the foundation he’s laid, creating and defining his vision of contemporary
blues.
The Preacher, The Politician Or The Pimp features twelve Cannon originals,
ranging from the burning social commentary of the title track to the wryly
told,up-to-the-minute truths of Insuranceto the trademark Cannon humor of Stop
Me When I’m Lying and Ordinary Woman. He gets serious on the haunting The First
24, the Martin Luther King-inspired The Silence Of My Friends and on the moving
final track, I’m Not Scared. Cannon’s blazing guitar and soul-baring vocals are
front and center. His songwriting is inspired by his deep Chicago roots, the
wisdom of his grandparents and his years of observing the public while driving a
bus. His songs tell timeless stories of common experiences in uncommon ways.
“It’s not about the solos,” Cannon says, “It’s about the songs. People get used
to everyday life,so it’s easy to miss the things around them. I write about
those things. I know the problems of Chicago, the hardship, 'cause we’re always
a scapegoat. But I choose to love and respect the city because of the Chicago
blues giants that came here from down south. I’m proud to be standing on the
shoulders of every great Chicago blues musician who came before me.”
Toronzo Cannon was born in the Windy City on February 14, 1968, and grew up in
the shadows of the notoriously tough Robert Taylor Homes. Theresa’s Lounge, one
of the city’s most famous South Side blues clubs, was nearby. As a child, Cannon
would stand on the sidewalk outside the door, soaking up the live blues pouring
out while trying to sneak a glance inside at larger-than-life bluesmen like
Junior Wells and Buddy Guy. He also heard plenty of blues growing up in his
grandfather’s home, and listened to soul, R&B and contemporary rock on the
radio.
Cannon bought his first guitar at age 22, and his natural talent enabled him to
quickly master the instrument. Although his initial focus was reggae, he found
himself increasingly drawn to the blues. “It was dormant in me. But when I
started playing the blues, I found my voice and the blues came pouring out.” He
absorbed sounds, styles and licks from Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Hound Dog
Taylor, B.B. King, Albert King, Freddie King, Jimi Hendrix, J.B. Hutto, Lil’ Ed
and others. Although influenced by many, Cannon’s biting, stinging guitar sound
is all his own.
Cannon began his rise in the intensely competitive proving ground of the local
club scene, where only the best musicians reach the top. Iconic blues artists
from Muddy Waters to Howlin’ Wolf to Koko Taylor to Hound Dog Taylor to Luther
Allison all paid their dues in the Chicago blues bars before making their mark
on the world. The same holds true today, as newcomers look to living legends
like Buddy Guy,Jimmy Johnson and Lil’ Ed Williams for inspiration in taking
their music from Chicago to fans across the globe.
From 1996 through 2002, Cannon played as a sideman for Tommy McCracken, Wayne
Baker Brooks, L.V. Banks and Joanna Connor. But he was determined to prove
himself. In 2001, while continuing to work as a hired-gun guitarist, he formed
his own band, The Cannonball Express. By 2003, he was working exclusively as a
band leader.Cannon’s first three albums—2007’s My Woman (self-released), 2011’s
Leaving Mood (Delmark) and 2013’s Blues Music Award-nominated John The Conqueror
Root (Delmark)—document his rise from promising up-and-comer to
star-in-the-making.
Almost immediately up on the release of The Chicago Way,Chicago media helped
launch Cannon toward blues stardom. He was the subject of multiple newspaper and
magazine feature stories and appeared on every local television station.
National and international media soon took notice. CNN filmed Cannon leading a
tour of Chicago blues clubs and then broadcast the piece around the world.
England’s MOJOmagazine declared The Chicago Way the#1 Blues Album Of 2016, as
did the readers of Living Blues magazine in their annual poll. The album and
Cannon were also nominated for four Blues Music Awards (the Grammy of the blues)
in 2017. And the world champion Chicago Cubs invited Cannon to throw out the
ceremonial first pitch of the September 13, 2017 game. All the attention only
makes Cannon more focused. “I feel like I’ve become an ambassador for Chicago
blues. People expect a lot from me,” he says. “But it’s good, because I’m forced
to keep upping my game.”
Cannon has played the Chicago Blues Festival on ten separate occasions,
initially as a sideman, then as a special guest, a side stage band leader and
finally as a main stage headliner. When he’s home, he drives a Chicago Transit
Authority bus by day and performs by night. Using every vacation day and day off
and working fourteen-hour shifts a week, Cannon arranges his schedule to gig out
of town as much as possible. It isn’t easy, but, like all of the Chicago greats
who have come before him, blues is his calling. Blues Music Magazine declares,
“His guitar playing has all the fire and spontaneity of the Chicago legends he
carries; his songwriting is a timely and original look at the world he sees by
day on a bus and in blues clubs by night,and his assertive voice is the perfect
vehicle to deliver the message.”
Now, with The Preacher, The Politician Or The Pimp,Toronzo Cannon delivers his
messages loud and clear. Between his searing chops,soul-satisfying vocals and
vibrant and distinctive original songs, Cannon has grown from being a local
attraction to become a world-renowned torch bearer for the blues. PBS
Television’s Chicago Tonight sums it up like this: “Cannon is just your typical
CTA bus driver who moonlights as a sought-after Chicago blues musician. As a
guitarist, singer and songwriter, he drives the sound of Chicago blues from the
city to blues clubs and festivals around the world.”
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600 14th St. NW Washington DC 20005, Washington, United States
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