Blues-Rocker Coco Montoya Announces HARD TRUTH TOUR - New CD Out March 24

Legendary blues-rock guitarist and vocalist Coco Montoya has announced a major North American Tour in support of his new album, Hard Truth, which is set for a March 24 release. The tour will take the guitar master from Denver to Chicago, from Memphis to New York, from Canada to Florida, with multiple stops along the way, with many more dates to be announced. Full tour schedule is below, and is also available (and constantly updated) here.

Taught by the “Master of the Telecaster,” Albert Collins, and schooled by John Mayall, Montoya -- who cut three successful CDs for Alligator between 2000 and 2007 -- has a hard-edged sound and style all his own, mixing his forceful, melodic guitar playing and passionate vocals with memorable songs, delivering the blues’ hardest truths.

On Hard Truth, Montoya unleashes one career-topping performance after another, the music immediately ranking among the best he’s ever recorded. Produced by Tony Braunagel  (Eric Burdon, Curtis Salgado, Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt), the album features eleven songs, each delivering a hard truth of its own. From the radio-friendly, gospel-inspired celebration of love, I Want To Shout About It, to the haunting Devil Don’t Sleep to the icy-hot cover of Albert Collins’ The Moon Is Full, Hard Truth covers substantial emotional ground. Montoya’s unpredictable guitar playing and smoking soul vocals blend effortlessly with a backing band featuring renowned musicians bassist Bob Glaub (Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Jerry Lee Lewis), keyboardist Mike Finnigan (Jimi Hendrix, Etta James, Taj Mahal), guitarists Billy Watts (Eric Burdon) and Johnny Lee Schell (Bonnie Raitt), and Braunagel on drums. Slide guitar master Lee Roy Parnell guests on Lost In The Bottle.

Montoya earned his status as a master guitarist and soul-powered vocalist through years of paying his dues as a sideman with Albert Collins (first as a drummer) and then as a featured guitarist with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, before launching his solo career in 1993. Five years of constant touring with Collins and ten years with Mayall turned him into a monster player and dynamic performer. Montoya has released eight previous solo albums to great critical and popular acclaim, and has played at clubs, concert halls and major festivals all over the world. Guitar Player says Montoya plays “stunning, powerhouse blues with a searing tone, emotional soloing, and energetic, unforced vocals.”

 

Still an indefatigable road warrior, Montoya continues to pack clubs and theaters around the world, and brings festival audiences to their feet from New York to New Orleans to Chicago to San Francisco. Across the globe, he’s performed in countries including Australia, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Norway, England, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Mexico, Ecuador, Italy, Poland, Russia, Czech Republic and Canada. Vintage Guitar says, “Coco just keeps getting better and better...rockin’ blues with guitar that cuts straight to the heart of the matter. His guitar playing is funky and blistering; it’s perfect. Whatever he plays, he does it with fire and passion rarely seen in this day and age.”

The 2017 North American HARD TRUTH Tour:
March 24 - The Historic Aztec Theater, Aztec, NM
March 25 - Ute Theater, Rifle, CO
March 26 - The Oriental Theater, Denver, CO
March 29 - The Zoo Bar, Lincoln, NE
March 30 - Chrome Lounge, Omaha, NE
March 31 - Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant (7:00pm and 9:30pm performances), Minneapolis, MN
April 01 - Buddy Guy's Legends, Chicago, IL
April 02 - The Jazz Kitchen, Indianapolis, IN
April 03 - City Winery,Nashville, TN
April 04 - City Winery, Atlanta, GA
April 06 - Porky's Roadhouse, Port Charlotte, FL
April 07 - The Funky Biscuit, Boca Raton, FL
April 08 - Tampa Bay Blues Festival, St. Petersburg, FL
April 09 - Springing the Blues Festival, Jacksonville Beach, FL
April 10 - Beaches Museum Chapel, Jacksonville Beach, FL
April 12 - The Rabbit Hole, Charlotte, NC
April 13 - The Concourse at The International, Knoxville, TN
April 14 - Rum Boogie Cafe, Memphis, TN
April 15 - Rum Boogie Cafe, Memphis, TN
April 18 - B.B. King Blues Club, New York, NY
April 19 - Daryl's House, Pawling, NY
April 20 - Bull Run Restaurant, Shirley, MA
April 21 - Mauch Chunk Opera House, Jim Thorpe, PA
April 22 - Chan's,Woonsocket, RI
April 23 - StageOne, Fairfield, CT
April 25 - The Tin Pan, Richmond, VA
April 26 - MexiCali Live, Teaneck, NJ
April 27 - The State Theatre, Falls Church, VA
April 28 - Bldg. 24 Live, Wyomissing, PA
April 29 - Musikfest Cafe - ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, Bethlehem, PA
April 30 - Bridge Street Live, Collinsville, CT
May 03 - Jergel's Rhythm Grille, Warrendale, PA
May 05 - Callahan's Music Hall, Auburn Hills, MI
May 06 - Callahan's Music Hall, Auburn Hills, MI
July 13 - RBC Bluesfest, Ottawa, ON, CANADA
July 15 - Peter's Players, Gravenhurst, ON, CANADA