Mecna, Coco Zombie

Coco Montoya's often ferocious guitar is the main reason to acquire this 1997 release. His singing is expressive and reasonably effective, but it is his blazing guitar soloing that makes one wish that he would record a full set of instrumentals; "Cool Like Dat" is a real cooker. Montoya performs some soul, R&B, and even country-tinged music on the set, but he is at his best on the blues, particularly the B.B. King-inspired "Do What You Want to Do." Although his backup band is fine, this interesting if not quite essential release is primarily a showcase for the passionate Montoya. Recommended in particular to fans of the rock side of the blues.

Coco Montoya's second album for Alligator records finds the guitarist moving away from the sound of his mentor, Albert Collins – although there certainly are licks throughout the album clearly inspired by "the Iceman," particularly when the tempo slows down – and toward big rock productions. This album sounds huge: The rhythm section provides a gigantic foundation, sprawling from speaker to speaker, then the keyboards and backing vocals are added, with guitars pushed to the forefront. On top of that, Montoya is demonstrating a greater inclination to soul and R&B than ever before, choosing to cover Holland-Dozier-Holland (a terrific take on "Something About You"), along with other tuneful soul tunes, and writing it that vein as well.

On his first album in four years and sixth for Alligator, blues guitarist Coco Montoya alters his musical M.O. a bit. Writing on the Wall marks the very first time that Montoya brought his live working quartet into the studio. Tony Braunagel returns as producer and guests on drums on four tracks. Keyboardist Jeff Paris co-produced and recorded at Jeff's Garage. In addition to Paris, the band includes bassist Nathan Brown and drummer Rena Beavers. Guests include guitarists Ronnie Baker Brooks, country star Lee Roy Parnell, and Dave Steen. The 13-track set includes five tunes composed or co-written by Montoya, four from Steen, and one from Paris – they co-wrote the title track with Montoya. The shared songwriting makes this, arguably, the most homegrown affair in Montoya's Alligator catalog. The contents intuitively balance electric blues, blues-rock, roots rock & roll, old-school, and R&B.

Following the success of her "head-turning debut" with Orchid Classics in 2022, dynamic young violinist Coco Tomita returns with her new album "Echoes", reuniting with pianist Simon Callaghan in a reflective and intimate exploration of late 19th and 20th century repertoire. Coco first gained widespread recognition as winner of the 2020 BBC Young Musician Strings Category, an event which led to the recording of her debut album, "Origins", which garnered huge critical acclaim and was selected as one of Apple Music's Albums of the Month. She was named as 'One to watch' by Gramophone Magazine and 'Young Classical Star' by Classic FM, while elsewhere her rendition of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" rapidly amassed over 2 million streams as part of Apple Music's Classical Christmas campaign in December 2022.

Following the success of her "head-turning debut" with Orchid Classics in 2022, dynamic young violinist Coco Tomita returns with her new album "Echoes", reuniting with pianist Simon Callaghan in a reflective and intimate exploration of late 19th and 20th century repertoire. Coco first gained widespread recognition as winner of the 2020 BBC Young Musician Strings Category, an event which led to the recording of her debut album, "Origins", which garnered huge critical acclaim and was selected as one of Apple Music's Albums of the Month. She was named as 'One to watch' by Gramophone Magazine and 'Young Classical Star' by Classic FM, while elsewhere her rendition of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" rapidly amassed over 2 million streams as part of Apple Music's Classical Christmas campaign in December 2022.

Years of apprenticeship with Albert Collins and John Mayall paid off handsomely for Montoya on this debut effort. Even with help from some famous friends (Debbie Davies, Al Kooper, Richie Hayward [Little Feat], and both former employers), Montoya asserts himself as the focal point. Sadly, this was one of Collins' last studio appearances before his death, playing on the Lowell Fulson-penned "Talking Woman Blues" (commonly known as "Honey Hush"). Although Montoya showcases his massive guitar muscle, it is merely a fraction of the power of his live performances.

Coco Montoya's second album for Alligator records finds the guitarist moving away from the sound of his mentor, Albert Collins – although there certainly are licks throughout the album clearly inspired by "the Iceman," particularly when the tempo slows down – and toward big rock productions. This album sounds huge: The rhythm section provides a gigantic foundation, sprawling from speaker to speaker, then the keyboards and backing vocals are added, with guitars pushed to the forefront. On top of that, Montoya is demonstrating a greater inclination to soul and R&B than ever before, choosing to cover Holland-Dozier-Holland (a terrific take on "Something About You"), along with other tuneful soul tunes, and writing it that vein as well.

Released via T-Boy Records, Spookshow International Live is the first collection of live music from the horror music/film icon since 2007's Zombie Live. Recorded during Zombie and company's 2013 Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor tour, the 19-track set list, none of which has been tampered with (no overdubs, exaggerated crowd noise, etc.), includes fan favorites like "Living Dead Girl," "House of 1000 Corpses," "Dragula," and "Superbeast," as well as covers of The Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop" and Grand Funk Railroad's "We're an American Band".