Toronzo Cannon can’t just ‘Shut Up & Play!

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Chicago is in bluesman Toronzo Cannon’s blood.

As a child, Cannon would stand on the sidewalk outside music club doors, soaking up the live blues pouring out, while trying to sneak a glance inside at larger-than-life musicians. He was gifted his first guitar at the age of 22 by his sister. Cannon quickly mastered the instrument, then played as a sideman, and finally as a band leader himself.

Toronzo Cannon (Photos by Roman Sobus)

“I know the problems of Chicago, the hardships. I write about those things. But I love my city, warts and all,” the former Chicago Transit Authority bus driver remarks. “It molded me and gave me the people and places I know and love.” 

Cannon will demonstrate both hardships and love with tunes from his latest album, “Shut Up & Play!”, next month at the Fanatics Pub in Lima.

His new record is a 12-track collection that covers topics ranging from the heartbreak of lost love to the humor of daily life and the pain of feeling invisible in today’s society.

For example, “Can’t Fix The World” is an exuberant scorcher of a song, scorning the hypocrisy of modern-day leaders when it comes to dealing with the problems of economic hardship, violence, and justice. The title track and closer to the album, “Shut Up & Play!” is a similar venting of anger as a Black entertainer being told to keep his opinions to himself.

“We can’t march, we can’t kneel,” sings Cannon, referencing both the Black Lives Matter movement and the protest against police violence by Colin Kaepernick. “Always telling us how we should feel/When we protest, they say we complain/While injustice still remains.”

“This record is about the things going on in my life since 2019; it’s a document of what I’ve seen and been through, but the stories are universal,” he explains. “And it’s my way to get past negative things and keep my own sanity. Listen to the lyrics. I am a Black man in America. These are not protest songs. I try to create honest, common sense understanding with my songs.”

Indeed, many of the songs off the album are more personal. This includes “Message To My Daughter,” which affirms the feelings of parental love toward a daughter even after the dissolution of a marriage. The gospel-inspired, autobiographical song “Had To Go Through It To Get To It,” is classic blues subject matter, celebrating the harsh times for the strength they also created.

“I write what I know, what I feel. I like to put myself in the shoes of the subjects of my songs,” Cannon says. “And you don’t choose the blues. The blues chooses you.”

Cannon will be performing at the Fanatics Pub in Lima at 7 p.m. on Feb. 1. Tickets can be purchased online and range from $27 to $32 depending on seat choice.

Jacob Schermerhorn is a Rochester Beacon contributing writer and data journalist. 

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