On drums no more

by Jim Trageser
This review first appeared in the June 16, 1995 issue of the North County Blade-Citizen (now North County Times).

Albert Collins' former drummer, Coco Montoya, used his time with the late blues master to learn how to fashion himself into a credible singer/guitarist. Now, he's no Albert Collins on guitar, but Montoya has learned to play a pretty fair ax, with more taste than speed (not exactly a crime). And give him credit – he's a better singer than his mentor ever was.

Montoya is also a first-rate composer, with strong blues songs like "Too Much Water," "Same Dog" and "You Don't Love Me" on this, his first album as leader. All his songs are straightforward blues, have clean lines and lots of room for him and his band to solo. He also turns in top-notch covers of Collins' "Gotta Mind to Travel," Lowell Fulson's "Talkin' Woman Blues" and Freddie King's "Someday After Awhile." Finally, he's joined by John Mayall – with whom Montoya also once played – on harp for a run-through of Mayall's rocking "Top of the World."