Famed Blues Rocker Coco Montoya To Release New Album Writing On The Wall, out September 1 on Alligator Records.
Award-winning, internationally renowned blues-rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Coco Montoya will release Writing On The Wall, his sixth album for Alligator Records and his first release in four years on September 1, 2023. The album will initially be available on CD and at all digital sites, with 140g translucent blue vinyl LP to follow on September 29.
In addition to the new album, Montoya today announced his coast-to-coast Writing On The Wall Tour, beginning September 21 in Salt Lake City and moving to Chicago, New York and Texas with many stops in between. See full list of tour dates below.
With Writing On The Wall, Montoya delivers what he is calling one of the best records he’s ever made. For the very first time on Alligator, he decided to bring his road-tested band—noted keyboardist and songwriter Jeff Paris (Keb’ Mo’, Bill Withers), bassist Nathan Brown, and drummer Rena Beavers, into the studio with him.
Guests on the album include Lee Roy Parnell, who adds his well-seasoned slide guitar to the smoldering A Chip And A Chair, and Coco’s friend, guitarist Ronnie Baker Brooks (son of late Alligator star Lonnie Brooks), on the searing cover of Bobby Bland’s You Got Me (Where You Want Me) and on the droll Baby, You’re A Drag. Between the camaraderie of the long-time bandmates and the sheer talent of all involved, the results have Coco feeling, in his words, “over the moon.” He continues, “I am so proud of this one. The band played so great, they ended up making me play even harder. They made me sound better than I am!”
Produced by Grammy Award-winner Tony Braunagel (Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal) and co-produced by Jeff Paris, Writing On The Wall is a tour-de-force of memorable, hook-filled songs, sung with passion and fueled by Montoya’s fiery guitar and the band’s spot-on musicianship. The 13 tracks include five written or co-written by Montoya. The set opens with a signature, career-defining performance of the soul-baring I Was Wrong, written for Coco by songwriter Dave Steen. The song will be released as the first single from the album, along with a visualizer video, on Monday, July 31.
The self-taught, left-handed Montoya mastered his craft under blues master Albert Collins’ tutelage and friendship. Initially hired to be Collins’ drummer, Montoya, at Collins’ urging, became the band’s second guitarist. A few years later, UK legend John Mayall chose Montoya to be his lead guitarist in the famous Blues Breakers. Montoya traveled the world, soaking up both musical and life lessons.
Montoya’s recorded debut as a bandleader came with 1995’s Gotta Mind To Travel (originally on Silvertone Records in England and later issued in the USA on Blind Pig Records). The album became an instant fan favorite and made it clear that Montoya ranked among the best players on the contemporary blues scene. Two more Blind Pig albums followed, and Coco, with his endlessly inventive guitar work and passionate, hard-hitting vocals, became one of the top draws on the blues circuit.
In 2000, Montoya’s Alligator debut, Suspicion, quickly became the best-selling album of his career, earning regular radio airplay on over 120 commercial stations nationwide. Montoya’s fan base exploded. After two more highly successful and massively popular Alligator releases—2002’s Can’t Look Back and 2007’s Dirty Deal, Montoya signed with Ruf Records, cutting both a live and a studio album. Returning to Alligator with 2017’s Hard Truth and 2019’s Coming In Hot, the guitar master continued to blaze his trail. “Montoya unleashes one career-topping performance after another,” declared the UK’s Blues Matters.
Now, with the dynamic Writing On The Wall and a tour overflowing with dates, Coco Montoya is excited to perform the new songs live with his burning-hot band. Montoya’s reputation as an incendiary live performer is well-earned, as he delivers the goods night after night. Vintage Guitar declares, “Coco keeps getting better and better. He plays with fire and passion rarely seen in this day and age.”
Coco Montoya Tour Dates See HERE
This is exciting news, as Coco is a truly gifted guitarist and singer! One of my top 5. Can’t wait to hear this album and see him live!
This is some kick a news. Looking forward to the release and tour.
Saw Coco and the band at a free, out door concert on July 4th in Seaside, CA. Said their van broke down on the way to the gig and had high praise for the organizers for going the extra mile to make sure the band and their equipment made it to the show. Also apparently some of his pedals weren’t getting along with the electrical connections so he picked up his set list and said, “you know what, I hate set lists anyways. We’re just going to play what we want” and he tore up the list.
The show was pretty damn out of this world. CM’s voice was in top form. I don’t really need to add anything about his playing except to say it was great as always.