(Newswire.net — September 1, 2014) Ajax, Ontario —
The Boston Globe succinctly states that Coco Montoya’s music is “hot, blistering soul.” Guitar One Magazine calls Montoya “the hottest southpaw in the blues” and rants about his “master touch and killer tone.”
From his drumming days of long ago to becoming one of the top-drawing vocalist guitarists on the blues-rock scene today Coco earned his status through years of constant touring and a lot of hard work. It began during a chance meeting with legendary bluesman Albert Collins, who offered Coco a gig as his drummer back in the mid-1970’s. Immediately, Albert took a liking to Montoya, becoming his mentor and teaching his new protégé the secrets of his own “icy hot” blues guitar style. Fast forward five years when In 1984, Coco encountered his second mentor, when British blues icon John Mayall was celebrating his Birthday in the same club where Montoya was playing. Montoya’s from the hip version of “All Your Love” immediately caught Mayall’s attention. Mayall asked Montoya to pack up his Strat and follow legendary guitarists and former Bluesbreaker members Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor into the renowned Bluesbreaker’s band. Coco reflected, that “I would never be doing what I’m doing now if I hadn’t gotten the phone call from John Mayall.
In 1993, he decided it was time to take the lessons he had learned from his musical fathers and sculpt his own solo career. Coco was signed to Blind Pig Records in the early 1990’s, releasing critically acclaimed discs, including: Gotta Mind To Travel, Ya Think I’d Know Better, and Just Let Go. Coco also received national recognition, being awarded the Blues Foundation’s Best New Blue Artist” at the 1996 Blues Music Awards.
Music By The Bay Live kicks off their new 2014-15 season with Coco Montoya – Live in concert at their new home of live blues in the historic St. Francis Centre, located in the heart of Pickering Village, Ajax Ontario.
St. Francis Centre is a performance arts facility that classic architecture, elegance and stunning stained glass windows together with a more contemporary interior design. When entering the St. Francis Centre you instantly feel something special. The spacious atrium is perfect for gathering before and after a show, and includes a lobby, bar and fully accessible washrooms. The theatre was designed with total comfort in mind, with its spectacular acoustics, combined with high end audio visual and lighting systems that are sure to enhance the Music by the Bay Live experience. With a capacity of 150 people and a tiered coliseum seating set-up that ensures clear site lights of the stage for performances from any seat, there is not a bad seat in the house.
About Music By The Bay Live
Music By The Bay Live is made up of passionate, Blues-Lovin‘people! Live blues concerts featuring top Maple Blues, Juno and Grammy Award-winning blues bands and performers, now in a beautiful theatre setting at the historic St. Francis Centre in Ajax, ON.