TONYA BOYD-CANNON presents ALTAR CALL 

The Path . The Journey . The Peace   

A Jazz Generations Initiative 2026 Jazz Cohort Culminating Concert 

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7:00pm Doors  |  8:00pm Show |  All Ages 

Throughout 2026, this year’s JGI Jazz Cohort fellows have been contemplating healing in practice, democracy within jazz culture, and intergenerationality in the discipline of music. 

For cohort member Tonya Boyd-Cannon, this has led her on a healing journey of self-reflection on her own experience as a preacher’s kid, growing up in the church, through familial memories and into her arrival as a secular vocalist, musician, songwriter, and educator. This journey weaves together all of the music a part of the tapestry of her life’s story from gospel and blues to jazz and soul; from the influence of the rhythms of Africa to the sound of the American south. 

Alongside music both familiar and new, Tonya explores other practices that provide pathways for generational knowledge to pass with permanence from elder to youth in the disciplines of griots and quiltmakers. Very special guest performers a part of ALTAR CALL include New Orleans Civil Rights activist and community leader Mama Dodie Smith, and one of the “New Orleans Four” school integration pioneers, Mama Leona Tate, among an all-star band of New Orleans musicians and rising youth artists. 

“There is a distinct rhythm to a life caught between the strict grace of a preacher’s home and the haunting magic of the Gulf Coast. Long before I understood the words my father preached, the spirits were already calling my name. ALTAR CALL chronicles a lifelong initiation — a path, a journey, and a peace of stepping out of the shadow of the pulpit and into the light of my own true alignment as a communicator between realms.”   ~Tonya Boyd-Cannon

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Join us for a transformative multimedia evening of music both familiar and new, as we travel on a coming of age journey in the Mississippi Delta. Arrive early at 7pm for a pre-show cocktail reception and quilts viewing. Post-performance artist meet & greet mixer to immediately follow the concert. *Please wear something white, ecru, or winter white.*

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Tonight’s performance features: 

Steve Lands - trumpet 

Darrin Thomas - keys 

Caleb Armstrong - guitar 

Donald Ramsey - bass 

Kalif Brown - drums 

• Special Guests: 

             Mama Dodie Smith 

             Mama Leona Tate 

             Blake Carter 

             Harmonie Foster-Cannon 

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*This concert is hosted in venue partnership with the André Cailloux Center for Performing Arts & Cultural Justice on Historic Bayou Road.*

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$20 GA Advance Online. $30 Day of Show. First-Come, First-Served Seating. 

Each ticket purchased guarantees a seat. All Ages Welcome. Youth over 4 years old must also be ticketed.

‍***Limited Capacity Venue, Advance Tickets Strongly Suggested*** 

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ABOUT TONYA BOYD-CANNON:  

Tonya Boyd-Cannon is a woman who does not simply perform music - she channels it, shapes it, teaches it, and uses it as a conduit for restoration. A classically trained musician and nationally recognized educator, Tonya brings a depth and intentionality to her craft that transcends genre. Her signature sound places vibe, storytelling, and soul-centered expression at the heart of every performance. Whether she’s moving listeners through heart-stretching ballads or igniting crowds with jazz, funk, rock, gospel, or blues, Tonya refuses limitations.

As a vocal phenomenon, now also holding a Masters in Jazz/Black American Music Studies from Tulane University, she has built a career marked by multiple singles, EPs, full-length albums, and dynamic collaborations, including contributions to the soundtrack for ”Rustin,” the biopic about unsung civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. Each release showcases her vocal mastery and her commitment to creating music that is as healing as it is sonically rich. Her performances span global stages from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to Colombia’s Mompox Jazz Festival, yet her impact reaches far beyond the venue. Some may know her as a Top 20 finalist from NBC’s 2015 season of “The Voice,” or as the voice from the contemporary favorite local anthem “In New Orleans,” but dozens of children in New Orleans know her simply as, “teacher.” When Tonya is off stage, she directs the New Orleans Citywide Youth Choir and serves as the executive director of the Rise My Child Foundation. 

Learn More: | https://tbcexperience.com