Joanna Connor is scary good. I caught her live show in Hagerstown, Maryland some years ago and will never forget her commanding presence. Her new live album, Live on 11/11, shows just how awesome she can be.
I’ve gushed over her work before. Connor is an absolute star. Known for her commanding vocals and brazen guitar licks, her mastery of the guitar is so complete that her performances appear effortless. But anyone who has spent countless hours trying to attain just a fraction of her skills will understand just how much work went into Connor’s casual virtuoso performances. She is a true master who rivals best blues musicians playing today. You can get a taste or her stage presence from the concert footage below.
Originally from Brooklyn and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, Connor moved to Chicago in 1984 and quickly became a mainstay on the blues scene there. By 1987, she was fronting her own band, signing with blues label Blind Pig Records shortly thereafter. But for most of the early 2000s, she homesteaded in Chicago blues clubs while she raised two children as a single mother. But in the 2010s, she hit the road again. From her back catalogue, I can recommend 2016’s Six String Stories, 2021’s 4801 South Indiana Boulevard, and Best of Me from 2023.
Live on 11/11, recorded last year at the Fallout Shelter in Norwood, Massachusetts, is a great effort that shows why she’s a rising star. awesome. Check out her cover of Elmore James’ “Shake Your Money Maker” below. Other great songs include James’ soulful “The Sky is Crying,” her cover of Little Walter’s “You’re So Fine,” Willie Dixon’s “I Just Wanna Make Love To You,” “Magic Sam Boogie,” Steve Winwood’s (and Blind Faith’s) “Can’t Find My Way Home” and Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie’s “When the Levee Breaks.” Along with Connor, the album features Jason JRoc Edwards on drums, Shaun Gotti Calloway on bass, and Dan Souvigney on keyboards.
About the author: Bill Wilcox is a roots music enthusiast recently relocated from the Washington, DC area to Philadelphia, PA and back again.