Toronzo Cannon: Leaving Mood

Bluesman Toronzo Cannon follows in the footsteps of Albert King and Lonnie Mack in using the Gibson Flying V as his guitar of choice, and the instrument’s rich, throaty tone serves him well on such stompers as “She Loved Me”, “She’s Too Much” and “Earnestine”. Cannon has been kicking around the Chicago blues scene for a while now and his latest full-length is an assured blend of moody rave-ups like “Come On”, gentler tunes like “I Believe”, and such deep blues as “Hard Luck”, “Leaving Mood” and “Do I Move You?” Cannon doesn’t shy away from the down-tempo end of the blues spectrum, which is welcome in such an adept guitarist. His playing remains fiery without being flashy, while his gravel-throated vocals sound convincing. With solid backing from a tight crew of musicians, Leaving Mood is a strong album that heralds a new blues star on the ascent.