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“Coco
Montoya
is at the
forefront of the
contemporary
blues world.” -
Guitar World
“He is one of
the truly gifted
blues artists of
his generation.”
-
Living Blues
“Blistering
contemporary
blues...piercing
attack, funky,
shivery
guitar tones
and aggressive,
soulful vocals.”
- Blues
Revue
The essence of
the blues is
about one person
connecting with
another from the
heart. Only a
select few are
born with that
talent. Most
spend a lifetime
searching for
that unique
ability. From
his early days
in the blues as
the drummer
behind blues
legend
Albert Collins,
Coco Montoya’s
journey in life
has been to
discover that
essence of the
blues.
“Albert was very
much a father,”
says blues
guitarist Coco
Montoya. “The
gifts I’ve
received from
him were soul,
compassion,
faith in myself,
faith in the
music, and how
to continue on.
Albert taught me
blues about
playing from
your heart. It’s
a music that you
can’t chart. If
your heart’s
there, it’s
real. That’s
what keeps the
blues going.
Fads come and
go, but the
blues always
stays.”
Growing up in
Southern
California
during the late
1950s and early
1960s, Montoya
was immersed in
music at an
early age.
Whether it was
his father’s big
band records or
his own interest
in old rock and
roll and doo wop
that flooded AM
radio, Coco took
it all in with
open ears. At
the same time,
English
musicians like
John Mayall
and
Eric Clapton
were developing
blues styles.
“When I first
heard Eric
Clapton doing
Hideaway’ was my
re-education
into the blues,”
says Montoya.
As a teen,
Montoya
discovered the
guitar as a way
to voice the
inner feelings
that needed
expression. “I
remember being
young and having
a hard time
expressing
myself. When I
found the
guitar, I found
the way to
express my
heart.” But it
was as a drummer
in
local rock bands
that first put
Coco on stage.
Then seeing
Albert King
showed the youth
how to play the
blues. “I went
to see
Iron Butterfly
and
Creedence
Clearwater
and a guy named
Albert King was
playing in
between them. He
picked up his
guitar, did
"Watermelon
Man,"
and changed my
whole life. That
was the first
time I heard
music that came
from the heart.”
Coco’s first
meeting with
Collins came in
1971. “He just
floored me. He
walked out of
the club, and I
had goose bumps
everywhere. When
I heard his
voice, it was
religious. When
he was done with
his set, I was
sweating.” Asked
to join Collins
as a drummer,
Coco sat behind
the Master of
the
Telecaster
from 1971 to
1976 and began
his blues
education.
Montoya is a
self taught
guitar slinger
who plays with
an emotional
intensity few
string benders
possess. Playing
left-handed and
up side down
like
Albert King,
Montoya learned
his guitar
techniques from
his years with
Collins. “I
never had a
lesson in my
life. “I would
watch other
guitar players
to catch what
they did. I
would wait for
that one moment
when they would
do it, and just
stare at them
and try and
remember where
their hand was,
where their
fingers were.
People ask, ‘Did
you take lessons
from Albert?’
It’s more from
just hanging out
in the hotel
rooms. He would
grab his guitar
and I would pick
up one and we’d
play; I just
learned by
listening, all
by ear. I just
play it the way
I hear it.
He was always
saying, ‘Don't
think about it,
just feel it.’
He taught me to
tap into an
inner strength.
I don’t know all
the licks in the
world, but I
know the ones I
can express
happiness or
sadness or
emotion.”
From 1976 until
1984, Montoya
had lost some of
the feel for
music and worked
bartender jobs
to survive. In
1984, his second
mentor, John
Mayall, was
celebrating his
birthday in a
bar where
Montoya was
performing.
Montoya’s from
the hip version
of “All Your
Love” caught
Mayall’s ear and
Coco was asked
to pack his
Strat and follow
previous
Bluesbreaker
guitarists Eric
Clapton, Peter
Green and
Mick Taylor
in the
Bluesbreakers.
“I would never
be doing what
I’m doing now if
I hadn’t gotten
the phone call
from John
Mayall.”
After three
records with
Mayall as a
member of the
Bluesbreakers,
Coco decided in
1993 it was time
to take the
lessons from his
two musical
fathers and
begin to sculpt
a solo career.
In the early
1990s, he was
signed to Blind
Pig Records and
released three
critically
acclaimed discs:
Gotta Mind
To Travel,
Ya Think I’d
Know Better,
and
Just Let Go.
During that
tenure, Coco
also received
national
recognition when
he was named the
Blues Foundation’s
Best New Blues
Artist at the
1996
Blues Music
Awards.
In 2000, Coco
took his music
up a notch and
signed with
Alligator
Records,
releasing three
more outstanding
records:
Suspicion,
Can’t Look
Back,
and 2007’s
Dirty Deal.
When fans crowd
a Montoya
performance,
they come to
partake in his
naturally
flowing
spiritual
journey with
music and be
personally
affected. Though
Montoya’s one of
the best at
finding emotion
on the
fretboard, he
also possesses
one of the most
soulful and
expressive
voices. At
times, the
quivering
vibrato he wraps
around words
breathes a real
vulnerability
into a song’s
fragile pleas;
other times his
voice will steam
roll like a
heavyweight’s
knock-out punch.
It is that
soulful
combination of
Coco’s guitar
and voice that
Ruf Records
looks to
broadcast on his
debut CD for the
label, I
Want It All Back.
With his dear
friends Keb’ Mo’
and Jeff Paris
as his new
producers, Coco
is ready to shed
the familiar and
to challenge
himself and his
audience.
I Want It All
Back
showcases
Montoya in his
most innovative
setting thus
far, tapping
into his roots
of blues, soul,
rock, rhythm and
blues and doo
wop, while
showcasing a
soulful,
passionate vocal
sound that will
serve as a
revelation to
those who only
know him for his
guitar prowess.
“People know
where I’m at
with the guitar,
but here the
vocals are being
concentrated
on,” said Coco
about the new
album. “There
will certainly
be guitar, but
the focus has
been on song
structure and my
vocals. I think
it’s healthy to
take chances.
It’s being able
to humble myself
and take
direction and
guidance. As
co-producers,
Keb’ and Jeff
have been
working
extensively with
my vocals. I’m
very proud of
the performance
they got outta
me.”
The producers
assembled a cast
of stellar
musicians to
back Montoya on
I Want It
All Back,
including a core
all-star rhythm
section of
Reggie McBride (Keb’
Mo’, Stevie
Wonder, B.B.
King) on bass
and Stephen
Ferrone (Average
White Band, Eric
Clapton, Tom
Petty) on drums,
with Keb’ Mo’
adding rhythm
guitar and Jeff
Paris playing
keyboards. Rod
Piazza on
harmonica and
“Miss Honey”
Alexander on
piano are
special guests
on a torrid
cover of the
Buster Brown
classic, “Fannie
Mae.” Other song
highlights of
the new CD
include the
Motown sound of
“Forever”
(originally done
by the
Marvelettes) and
The One Who
Really Loves
You” (Mary
Wells’ hit); the
soulful “Cry
Lonely,” and “As
Close As I Have
Come,” both
co-written by
award-winning
songwriter Gary
Nicholson; a
modern take on
Jackson Browne’s
“Somebody’s
Baby;” and a
funky cover of
The Penguins’
doo-wop classic,
“Hey Senorita.”
“I never planned
to be a singer
guitar player. I
naturally
gravitated to
being a singer
because if I
wanted to be a
guitar player
who writes
songs, I felt
like I had to
learn how to
sing them.”
The world knows
Coco as the
blazing
guitarist who
nightly
transforms
genuine human
emotions into
eloquent notes
that connect
with the hearts
of his audience.
The new Coco is
also using his
intimate vocal
delivery to
articulate the
story.
“This is an
exciting
journey,” said
Coco. “To my
fans who love my
guitar, I say
come to me with
open ears. The
guitar is still
there, but it’s
not the only
voice I have.
Listen to me as
an artist who is
growing and grow
with me.” |
