The L (feat. Toronzo Cannon)

#146 in the Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumental Series, The L, features Chicago's bus drivin' badass, Toronzo Cannon. Okay, I'm just going to start with the pronouncement/confession/statement of the obvious, we LOVE the Band of Gypsys. Now that I've got that out of the way, let's talk Toronzo Cannon. Growing up just outside of the notorious Robert Taylor Homes housing project on the South Side of Chicago in the 1970's and just blocks from Theresa's Lounge, the local blues bar of legend, Toronzo soaked up the sounds of the blues that would eventually come raining out of him. He was too young to enter so he'd stand outside of Theresa's and listen to legends, like Junior Wells & Buddy Guy. A relatively late bloomer, Toronzo got his first guitar at 22 years of age and originally gravitated toward Reggae. But Toronzo's calling to the blues was almost preordained, as was his rise to the top of the Chicago scene, just like the legends that he stood outside of Theresa's and listened to years before. Spending the '80's and '90's as a hired-gun/sideman Toronzo went solo in 2001, he's released five albums to date and has played everywhere from Albania to Japan to South Africa to Winnetka. 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."  Please enjoy this chuggin' little number and please go see Toronzo when he comes through your town.

The backing band on this track is Oakland Born/Nashville residing, groovin' AF, Derrek Phillips, (Gloria Gaynor, Robben Ford, Charlie Hunter) on drums, and myself on rhythm guitar and bass. The track was recorded at NTA, South San Francisco, The Phamily Room, Nashville TN, and Blaise Barton's JoyRide studio in Chicago. Mellifluously mixed and mastered by the infamous F-Bomb. A very special thanks to Alligator Records' Bruce Iglauer for blessings and facilitations.