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! 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 1990’s 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. Coco has also received national recognition when he was named the Blues Foundation’s Best New Blue Artist at the 1996 Blues Music Awards. Same Dog You Don’t Love Me “Smoldering blues and southern-fried rock ‘n’ roll with a master touch and killer soloing” – GuitarOne “An astounding guitar virtuoso and a forceful singer.”- Billboard “A monster lead guitarist; his blues rocks with a passion.”- Atlanta Journal “Montoya is at the forefront of contemporary blues guitarists.”- Guitar World “Montoya’s singing is completely commanding; his strat leads rage across the disc like brush fire. A must-have for fans of contemporary electric blues guitar; stripped down and biting; chilling, swampy, beautiful; a modern blues master.”- Blues Revue “Superb guitar artistry and powerful vocals…one of the blues’ leading exponents.”- Philadelphia Daily News “Montoya sings and plays with passionate abandon.”- Boston Globe “Piercing guitar tone… Montoya has a wonderful and distinctive vocal instrument; one of the top guys in contemporary blues. A unique musical blend of wisdom and abandon.”- Blues Access “Heartfelt singing and a merciless guitar with a wicked icy burn…Montoya is a show-stopper…he swings like a jazz man and stings like the Iceman. He is one of the truly gifted blues artists of his generation.”- Living Blues