Born: October 2, 1951 in Santa Monica CA
Of the many blues-rock oriented guitarists that came to prominence in the wake of Stevie Ray Vaughan's commercial success, few are as overlooked (and underrated) as bluesman Coco Montoya. By the time of Stevie Ray's mid-1980s fame, Montoya already had the better part of a decade of experience under his belt, and with the launching of his solo career in the early-1990s, Montoya has been able to fully explore his singing and playing talents with an inspired mix of blues, blues-rock, soul, and R&B music.
Mentored By The Ice Man
Not much is known about Coco Montoya's early days, and the guitarist isn't saying much about them himself. Born in Santa Monica, California to working class parents, the young Montoya availed himself of their large record collection. Although he played a little guitar, as a teen Montoya played the drums in a number of local rock bands. After witnessing blues legend Albert King perform in 1969, Montoya became hooked on the blues and decided on music as a way of life.
A chance encounter with guitarist Albert Collins, known as the "Iceman," resulted in the blues giant asking Montoya to tour with him as his drummer. In a short time, Collins smartened the young drummer on the ways of the blues, and taught him a few tricks on the guitar. At the end of the tour, Montoya ended up staying with Collins' band for five years as the bluesman tutored the fledgling musician in the fine points of blues guitar. The two men became good friends, enjoying a sort of father-son relationship, but when blues gigs became hard to find in the late-1970s, Montoya left Collins' band.
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
Working as a bartender in Los Angeles, Montoya thought that his musical career was all but finished. While jamming one night in a L.A. bar during the early-1980s, John Mayall came into the club and was impressed by Montoya's six-string skills. Mayall asked Montoya to join the new version of the Bluesbreakers that he was forming, and Montoya jumped at the chance to tour with the British blues legend. Montoya first appeared on a Bluesbreakers' album with 1985's Behind The Iron Curtain, the guitarist's impressive performance helping jumpstart Mayall's long-stalled career.
Montoya would stay with the Bluesbreakers for ten years, appearing on three of Mayall's studio albums and playing alongside fellow guitarist Walter Trout for most of his tenure with the band. In 1993, however, feeling that it was time for a change, Montoya was urged by his mentor Collins, who was suffering from cancer, to go on and do his own thing. Montoya formed his own band and hit the road. After two years of seasoning through a couple of hundred live performances, Montoya signed with Blind Pig Records.
The Blind Pig Years
Blind Pig released Montoya's debut, Gotta Mind to Travel, in 1995. The album featured guests like Collins and Mayall, as well as labelmate and guitarist Debbie Davies, multi-instrumentalist Al Kooper, and Little Feat's Richie Hayward. The critically-acclaimed and commercially-successful album earned Montoya a W.C. Handy Award in 1996 as "Best New Blues Artist" despite the guitarist's nearly two-decades of experience.
The following year, Montoya revisited his rock roots with Ya Think I'd Know Better, a blues-rock set that cemented Montoya's reputation as a guitarist while sitting near the top of the Billboard magazine blues chart for 14 weeks. The album garnered a W.C. Handy Award nomination for "Contemporary Blues Album" as well as earning the guitarist a nomination as "Blues Entertainer of the Year." Montoya followed up with Just Let Go in 1997, expanding his sound to include soul and R&B along with the trademark blues and blues-rock fretwork that had made him a popular draw on the blues festival circuit.
The Alligator Records Years
Montoya signed with the notable blues label Alligator Records for the 2000 release of his Suspicion album. The album and its fiery six-string pyrotechnics would prove to be the best-selling effort of his career at the time, spending eleven weeks on the Billboard magazine blues chart and receiving critical raves from publications as diverse as Blues Revue and Guitar Player to Jazz Times and the New York Times. Montoya's Can't Look Back came in 2002, the guitarist turning back his Albert Collins-inspired fretwork in favor of a more soulful direction.
Montoya further explored the soul-blues connection with 2007's Dirty Deal. Assisted by five original members of Little Feat on several of the album's songs, Dirty Deal takes on the same sort of Southern-fried funk as the rock's band's best work, and served to further increase Montoya's loyal audience. These days, widely considered one of the best guitarists and vocalists on the modern blues scene, Montoya is also one of the hardest-working bluesmen, he and his band performing up to 200 shows annually in front of enthusiastic audiences in both North America and Europe.
Recommended Albums: Although all of Montoya's albums have their charm, many consider his debut, Gotta Mind To Travel as a good place to start exploring the guitarist's talents. Can't Look Back is a fine example of Montoya's growth as a singer and songwriter, but for newcomers, The Essential Coco Montoya, which includes material from his three Blind Pig albums, might be the best introduction.
Coco Montoya - Solo Discography
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- Gotta Mind To Travel (Blind Pig Records, 1995)
- Ya Think I'd Know Better (Blind Pig Records, 1996)
- Just Let Go (Blind Pig Records, 1997)
- Suspicion (Alligator Records, 2000)
- Can't Look Back (Alligator Records, 2002)
- Dirty Deal (Alligator Records, 2007)
- The Essential Coco Montoya (Blind Pig Records, 2009)
