Coco Montoya
NewMusicforOldFolks says …
Coco Montoya's career began in the mid-1970s when Albert Collins asked him to join his band as drummer. Collins took Montoya under his wing and taught him his "icy hot" guitar style. In the early 1980s John Mayall heard Montoya playing guitar in a Los Angeles bar. Soon after Mayall asked Montoya to join the newly reformed Bluesbreakers. He remained a member of the band for 10 years. If those aren't two first-class endorsements, I've never heard any. Can't Look Back was my introduction to Montoya, so it's a favorite.
Artist's info
Website: www.cocomontoyaband.com
See him live: Tour dates
Record company: Ruff Records
Genre: Blues, Rock
If you like this, look into: Tommy Castro, Nick Moss, Debbie Davies
Bio (From the artist's website)
Guitar One Magazine calls guitarist/vocalist Coco Montoya “the hottest southpaw in the blues” and raves about his “master touch and killer tone.” The Boston Globe succinctly states that Montoya’s music is “hot, blistering soul.” From his early days as a drummer to his current status as one of the top-drawing guitarists and vocalists on the blues-rock scene, Montoya earned his status through years of hard work and constant touring. It all started with a chance meeting in the mid-1970s with legendary bluesman Albert Collins, who offered Montoya a gig as his drummer. Albert took an immediate liking to Montoya, becoming his mentor and teaching his new protégé the secrets of Collins’ “icy hot” style of blues guitar. Five years later, British blues icon John Mayall happened to catch Montoya at a jam session and was blown away. Mayall recruited him as his guitarist in the legendary Bluesbreakers, and Montoya spent the next 10 years touring non-stop, proving himself to be a world-class guitar master in one of the most renowned blues bands in existence. The rest is History! (more)
Spotify sampler
Recordings
Most Recent
SONGS FROM THE ROAD (2014): Live from Seattle s famous Triple Door, a classic Coco Montoya show! For the fans, needless to say, the star of the show was the man at the mic with the iconic upside-down electric guitar, streaking through a solid-gold set list of originals that left the crowd breathless. Coco has rarely sounded better.
OTHERS
Gotta Mind To Travel (1995)
Ya Think I'd Know Better (1996)
Just Let Go (1997)
Suspicion (2000)
Can't Look Back (2002)
Dirty Deal (2007)
The Essential Coco Montoya (2009)
I Want It All Back (2010)
