Toronzo Cannon — “Shut Up and Play — Alligator Records
Toronzo Cannon is making a lot of noise with his music these days.
He’s combining his powerful, traditional fiery Chicago blues licks with smart contemporary lyrical themes that pack their own punch. That combination makes for a passionate package of modern blues firmly planted in its primal roots.
The 12-song session, co-produced by Cannon and Alligator president Bruce Iglauer, features a crackling crew of Cannon on guitars, vocals, and percussion; Brian Quinn on electric and upright bass; Cole DeGenova on keyboards and clavinet; Jason Edwards on drums; Phillip “Dante” Burgess, Jr. on drums on “Him” and “Had To Go Through It” and Matthew Skoller on harmonica on “My Woman Loves Me Too Much.”
Everything kicks off with screaming guitar and tough vocals lamenting the sentiment of “Can’t Fix the World.” The scorching “I Hate Love” adds more ferocious guitar solos behind a painful lyric. “Him” shuffles funkily into view, dipping into relationship issues by a former rival.
“Had to Go Through It to Get to It” describes racial barricades to success in a rousing bit of hand-clapping gospel. “Something to Do Man” rocks hard to describe a late-night call from a woman who knows him as her “something to do man” with something on her mind. “Message to My Daughter,” turns lyrically gentle with a promise to sstick with his daughter despite a broken home. “Unlovable” opens with high-quality blues licks acknowledged by Cannon, who uses the shuffling rhythms and gutty vocals to support his woman though hard times.
“Guilty” is a lilting statement about the role of responsibility in life — “everybody knows they’re guilty; guilty for what they say and do.” The slyly salacious “Got Me by the Short Hairs” documents the perils of a one-night stand with a surprise twist at the end. Nothing says deep blues like a down-home, back-porch acoustic gem. With Cannon’s guitar, Quinn’s upright bass and Skoller’s elegant harp licks, “My Woman Loves Me Too Much” grins with sexy humor. Tasty keyboards lead into “If I’m Always Wrong,” with Cannon admonishing, “If I’m always wrong, then leave me alone.”
The musically psychedelic aura of the title track brings the album full circle from the philosophic opener, with Cannon’s biting response to the idea that he should forego activism and just “Shut Up and Play.”
This is how Cannon explains the personal nature of songs: “I write what I know, what I feel,” he says, “I like to put myself in the shoes of the subjects of my songs. 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. 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.”
And the music that accompanies that honest, common-sense understanding is pretty darn good, too.
“Can’t Fix the World”
1. Can’t Fix The World 4:15
2. I Hate Love 4:27
3. Him 4:44
4. Had To Go Through It To Get To It 3:54
5. Something To Do Man 4:08
6. Message To My Daughter 5:47
7. Unlovable 3:28
8. Guilty 4:07
9. Got Me By The Short Hairs 3:44
10. My Woman Loves Me Too Much 3:48
11. If I’m Always Wrong 3:55
12. Shut Up And Play! 5:58
Toronzo Cannon: Guitars, Vocals, Percussion and Handclaps
Brian Quinn: Electric and Upright Bass
Cole DeGenova: Piano, Organ, Nord and Clavinet
Jason “Jroc” Edwards: Drums
Phillip “Dante” Burgess, Jr.: Drums on “Him” and “Had To Go Through It”
Matthew Skoller: Harmonica on “My Woman Loves Me Too Much”
Blues Roadhouse 