Like Eric Clapton, California guitarist Coco Montoya mentored under veteran bluesman John Mayall. On his new solo album, Dirty Deal, Montoya unleashes one mean guitar lick after another. He’s occasionally a fluid player (like Clapton), but he’s at his best when there’s some fire to his riffing. His tattered voice shows that he learned a thing or two by gigging with Albert Collins for years.
Thu., March 22, 8 p.m.
This article appears in Mar 21-27, 2007.