{"id":35911,"date":"2017-07-24T14:41:25","date_gmt":"2017-07-24T18:41:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=35911"},"modified":"2017-07-24T14:41:29","modified_gmt":"2017-07-24T18:41:29","slug":"on-stage-extra-toronzo-cannon-grew-up-surrounded-by-the-blues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=35911","title":{"rendered":"On Stage (Extra): Toronzo Cannon grew up surrounded by the blues"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Staff Writer, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Toronzo Cannon<\/p><\/div>\n

Some artists pursue a career in music because it\u2019s in their DNA. For others, the path to making music can be traced to environmental sources.<\/p>\n

Toronzo Cannon, who will perform on July 24 at the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com<\/strong><\/a>), is an American electric blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter.<\/p>\n

His path to the music world was environmental.<\/p>\n

Cannon grew up on the South Side of Chicago near the Robert Taylor Homes and Theresa\u2019s Lounge where he heard blues artists including Buddy Guy and Junior Wells.<\/p>\n

Throughout the history of Chicago blues, the intensely competitive local club scene has served as a proving ground, where only the best musicians rise to the top.<\/p>\n

Iconic blues artists from Muddy Waters to Howlin\u2019 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.<\/p>\n

The same holds true today, as newcomers look to living legends like Buddy Guy, Eddy Clearwater and Lil\u2019 Ed Williams for inspiration in taking their music from Chicago to fans across the globe.<\/p>\n

Now, Cannon is ready to write his own story as he claims his place as one of the city\u2019s most popular and innovative blues musicians.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came in the side door of blues,\u201d said Cannon, during a phone interview last week from his home in Chicago.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up around it. When I started playing guitar, I wanted to play reggae. All the clubs around Chicago were blues clubs. I grew up in the neighborhood of Theresa\u2019s Lounge and never even knew how famous it was until I got older.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember hearing all these great blues guys like Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters. Now, I\u2019m a blues musician. I have had some full-circle moments. I play blues for this age.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cannon\u2019s songs have one foot in modern blues and one foot in traditional blues.<\/p>\n

Consider the lyrics for his song \u201cWalk It Off\u201d \u2013 \u201cShe didn\u2019t mean it. That\u2019s what she said. He was an old friend and she lost her head. Now, I know my woman is nice and kind. But now we don\u2019t know if the baby is his or is mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

That song is Cannon in traditional mode. If it were a modern song, it would carry on and talk about DNA paternity testing.<\/p>\n

Cannon is currently riding the success of his latest album \u201cThe Chicago Way,\u201d which was released last year on the world\u2019s premier blues label, Alligator Records.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Chicago Way\u201d was nominated for a Blues Music Award in 2017 as \u201cAlbum of the Year.\u201d Cannon and Alligator president Bruce Iglauer won the 2016 Living Blues Award for \u201cProducer of The Year — New Recording\u201d for \u201cThe Chicago Way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album came out in February 2016,\u201d said Cannon, who was preparing to leave the following day to start his current tour in Canada.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded at JoyRide Studio with Blaise Barton in October 2105. JoyRide is a Grammy Award-winning studio in Chicago. Blaise is a wonderful engineer and Bruce is an amazing producer.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy band and I set up and played live in the studio \u2013 the way they used to do. The studio has a lot of great analog and digital recording gear.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have a preference for either analog or digital. I just go more by what I like to hear. If it sounds good, I say \u2013 O.K., let\u2019s do that.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a set band that I use \u2013 Luca, Melvin and Dave (Luca Chiellini — piano, Hammond organ, background vocals; Dave Forte — bass; Melvin \u201cPooky Styx\u201d Carlisle \u2013 drums). These guys have been with me for a while.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe spent three months in the studio. I write all the songs ahead of time. But, there was some tweaking and fine tuning as we were recording.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I\u2019m writing, sometimes the music comes first and I say \u2013 what kind of words can I put in? I like to do very visual writing \u2013 like Bobby Womack or Robert Cray. Sometimes, the words come in first. I really don\u2019t have a set way I write.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis album is a month in the lives of blues people \u2013 things that happen \u2013 things that I see in the world around me. The song \u2018The Pain Around Me\u2019 is a modern-day ghetto song.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like many of today\u2019s newer musicians, Cannon also has a \u201cday job.\u201d His primary source\u00a0 of income is as a bus driver for Chicago Transit Authority<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my 24th year as a bus driver for C.T.A.,\u201d said Cannon. \u201cI only have two more years to go until I can retire.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe things I see while driving my bus are inspiration for songs. The whole CD was written on the bus. I get a lot of ideas when I’m driving. I\u2019ve looked back and seen people shooting up heroin in the back of the bus. I\u2019ve had grandmothers fighting on my bus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Real-life situations are great topics for songwriters. Cannon has had the benefit of sitting in a front row seat for years and having the ability of transforming what he sees into stellar blues tracks.<\/p>\n

Video link for Toronzo Cannon (musician) — https:\/\/youtu.be\/VSBSY9smvBs<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Video link for Toronzo Cannon (musician\/bus driver) — https:\/\/youtu.be\/Z4A_WO-85eY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $17.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Tristen<\/p><\/div>\n

On July 26, Boot and Saddle (1131 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, 215-639-4528, www.bootandsaddlephilly.com<\/a>) will host a triple-bill with Tristen as the headliner and Steelism and Pilkington as the opening acts.<\/p>\n

Like Toronzo Cannon, Tristen also grew up on the South Side of Chicago in the suburb of Lansing, Illinois. Unlike Cannon, Tristen\u2019s musical style is rock\/singer-songwriter rather than blues.<\/p>\n

Tristen, whose full name is Tristen Gaspadarek, is an American musician and songwriter. When she was eight, her musician father encouraged her to take up the piano.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father is such an amazing musician,\u201d said Tristen, during a phone interview last week from her home in Nashville, Tennessee.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was always exposed to music and I\u2019ve been singing songs since I was four. Later, I sang in choir, theater productions \u2013 anything creative.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wrote my first song when I was eight. It was about a woman who was sad about her man leaving her. People were asking me how I knew about things like that. My real songwriting began when I was 14 when I started playing guitar.\u201d<\/p>\n

After graduating from De Paul University<\/a> in 2007, where she studied relational group and organizational theories of communication, Tristen moved to Nashville to focus on her music.<\/p>\n

Since then, she has released four albums — 2008\u2019s \u201cTeardrops and Lollipops\u201d (Pupsnake Records), 2011\u2019s \u201cCharlatans At The Garden Gate\u201d (American Myth), 2013\u2019s \u201cC A V E S\u201d (Pupsnake Records) and 2017\u2019s \u201cSneaker Waves\u201d (Modern Outsider).<\/p>\n

\u201cSneaker Waves\u201d was released on July 7. Its first single, \u201cGlass Jar\u201d featured Jenny Lewis, killer vocals by Tristen and a nostalgic feel. The album\u2019s second single, \u201cGot Some,\u201d has been described as dreamy indie-pop.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started tracking the album in August 2014,\u201d said Tristen. \u201cI went in with about 30 songs. I was working on it at my home studio.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, I joined Jenny Lewis\u2019s tour as a singer. I didn\u2019t work on my music at all when I was on tour with Jenny. After the tour finished, I came back home in 2016 and worked on it more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to take my time. I write a lot of songs so I like to get space to make sure it\u2019s the best stuff- — to make sure I really like it. \u201cThere is no real pressure to do anything. When I got to finishing it in 2016, I focused on what songs were working. I also looked for what was missing.\u201d<\/p>\n

With such a prolific writing style, choosing the songs that make the final cut can be a challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cSelecting the songs to use isn\u2019t that hard,\u201d said Tristen. \u201cThere is just a feeling at the very end. Then, you get all the songs that are done and decide on the order.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tristen is comfortable with her songwriting style.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t try to obfuscate,\u201d said Tristen. \u201cThere are some allegories. I like to use phrases that have weight and meaning. I want people to see themselves in the songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to find repeating patterns \u2013 pieces of advice that I tell other people or that other people tell me. I enjoy writing about love.<\/p>\n

\u201cWriting is a part of who I am. Every day, I work on it in some capacity. I never stop learning stuff and making things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Tristen \u2013https:\/\/youtu.be\/q0vLj1ks2fE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Steelism<\/p><\/div>\n

Steelism is an instrumental band based in Nashville that features guitarist Jeremy Fetzer and pedal steel player Spencer Cullum.<\/p>\n

Fetzer, who is from Canton, Ohio, and Cullum, who is from Essex, England, met while performing as back-up singers for singer Caitlin Rose on a U.K tour.<\/p>\n

They began writing together after discovering a shared interest in classic movie soundtrack composers such as Ennio Morricone and 60s instrumental artists including Booker T. and the M.G.s and The Ventures.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m originally from Canton but I\u2019ve been here in Nashville for 12 years,\u201d said Fetzer, during a phone interview last week from his home in Music City. \u201cSpencer is from East London and he\u2019s been in Nashville for 10 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was on tour with Caitlin Rose in England seven years ago. I had met Spencer before in Nashville. We got together in London. He knew Caitlin\u2019s songs and joined the band. Steelism came out of us having down time on that tour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steelism\u2019s debut EP \u201cThe Intoxicating Sounds of Pedal Steel and Guitar\u201d was released in October 2012. In 2014, the band released its debut full-length album \u201c615 to FAME\u201d in North America on Single Lock Records. It was recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and at Club Roar in Nashville.<\/p>\n

Last month, Steelism\u00a0released the follow-up to \u201c615 To Fame\u201d \u2013 an album titled \u201cism.\u201d The new LP is a 10-song collection shows the band drawing inspiration from mid-century modern design, early Brian Eno productions and 70s film scores.<\/p>\n

The album has been released on Steelism\u2019s own imprint\u00a0Intoxicating Sounds, which is distributed by\u00a0Thirty Tigers.\u00a0The record marks the first time the band brought featured vocalists into its instrumental canon, with guest appearances from Tristen, Ruby Amanfu, Andrew Combs and Jessie Baylin.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve always been an instrumental band,\u201d said Fetzer. \u201cOur focus has been on writing instrumentals. This is the first time we co-wrote with other singers. We like to challenge ourselves to do a new thing with each record.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith our instrumental music, our goal was to make it so you didn\u2019t realize there wasn\u2019t a singer. The new album is very different. This is just one piece of music that is flowing throughout.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wrote one of the songs with Tristen who we\u2019re playing with at Boot and Saddle. She has a new record too. It\u2019s fun to be out with both of us supporting new albums.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cism\u201d was co-produced Fetzer, Cullum and Jeremy Ferguson, who is known for his work with Lambchop, Tristen, and Andrew Combs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe began recording the album in November,\u201d said Fetzer. \u201cWe spent a week in the studio in Nashville at Battle Tapes Recording. We did the basic tracks in about a week and then went back later to add guitar and the singers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The usual Steelism rhythm section, Jon Radford (drums) & Jon Estes (bass), and Robbie Crowell (formerly of Deer Tick) on keys are heard throughout the record. Legendary \u201cNashville Cat\u201d studio musician Charlie McCoy (Bob Dylan\u2019s Blonde on Blonde) on vibraphone & harmonica and a lush string quartet provide the finishing instrumental touches.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the new album, we focused on the sonic aspect — creating a film score for a movie that doesn\u2019t exist,\u201d said Fetzer. \u201cIt was inspired by 60s psychedelic bands and music from old movies \u2013 especially movies from the 70s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Steelism \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/QJLVSeF9caQ<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Boot and Saddle will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times Some artists pursue a career in music because it\u2019s in their DNA. For others, the path to making music can be traced to environmental sources. Toronzo Cannon, who will perform on July 24 at the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com), is an American electric […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35913,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[7426,10149,10150],"class_list":["post-35911","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-toronzo-cannon","tag-tristen-steelism"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35911","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35911"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35911\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35912,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35911\/revisions\/35912"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/35913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}