Toronzo Cannon And Nora Jean Conduct Blues Diplomacy For Chicago Mayor Lightfoot

On Tuesday, July 9, prior to leaving for Japan to headline at the Japan Blues Festival in Aomori City (Japan's largest blues event), Alligator Records recording artist Toronzo Cannon and celebrated blues vocalist Nora Jean met with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot at her City Hall office. Lightfoot presented Cannon and Nora Jean with a letter to personally deliver to the Mayor of Aomori City. The Chicago blues musicians performed at the Japan Blues Festival on July 13, with additional performances in Utsunomiya, Matsumoto, Yokohama and Sakai, Osaka.

In the letter to the mayor of Aomori City, Mayor Lightfoot thanks the Aomori City Chamber of Commerce for bringing blues musicians as cultural ambassadors of Chicago, sharing Chicago’s music with the world. Cannon and Nora Jean personally delivered the letter to the mayor of Aomori City upon their arrival.

The Chicago Tribune says Toronzo Cannon plays “deep, contemporary Chicago blues [with] razor-sharp guitar and compelling, forceful singing." The Chicago Sun-Times calls him, "one of Chicago's new greats.” The blistering guitarist, soulful vocalist, singular songwriter and Chicago Transit Authority bus driver fuses his muscular, rock-inspired blues guitar playing with his original, keenly detailed slice-of-life songs, blazing his own blues trail.

With the 2016 release of his Alligator Records debut, The Chicago Way, Cannon burst onto the international stage as one the most electrifying bluesmen to emerge from Chicago in decades. His live performances unfailingly earn him heaps of critical praise and hordes of wildly enthusiastic fans. Cannon has played major cities all over the U.S., Canada, and Europe, delighting and surprising audiences with one unforgettable gig after another. This is his first trip to Japan. With his next release, due later this fall, Cannon builds upon the foundation he’s laid, creating and defining his vision of contemporary blues.