Coco Montoya

Singer/guitarist Montoya has a pretty heavy pedigree. The Southern California native started out as a drummer, not picking up a guitar until he was bitten by the blues bug in his early twenties. He came to the attention of the late, legendary Texas guitar slinger Albert Collins, who hired him for a couple of tours and albums. Montoya followed this gig with a very high profile stint with British blues legend John Mayall, a bandleader who gave Peter Green, Eric Clapton and Mick Taylor -- the triumvirate of British Blues guitarists -- their start in the business. Mayall gave Montoya a lot of room on the bandstand, which ultimately paved the way for his solo career. He is a strong, expressive singer who especially shines on slow ballads. As a guitarist, he has taken the icy economy of Albert Collins' playing and used it to forge his own incendiary style.