|
Coco Montoya - I Want It All Back - Ruf Records 2010I've heard Coco Montoya tunes in the past. I never had any of his music in my collection, for whatever reason, but he was an artist that I enjoyed hearing on the radio because I could tell upon first impression that he had soul. His voice, his guitar tone, his arrangements, you could hear his passion for the music. There was certainly a great pedigree with Montoya's music. He began his professional career as a drummer for Albert Collins, picked up the guitar from Collins' teachings, and after a brief stint on his own, Montoya joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, before finally setting out on his own successful path.In 2009, Blind Pig Records released a compilation The Essential Coco Montoya, made up of tracks pulled from previous Montoya releases on the label. It was a pretty good primer for someone like myself, who had not really been exposed to much of the Montoya catalogue. Now, 2010 sees Montoya with a new release, I Want It All Back; and a new label, Ruf Records.
It all gets going with a funky, latin infused version of The Penguins' "Hey Senorita." It's just the first in many genre blending shifts across the 53 minutes of music on I Want It All Back. The title track is an upbeat, smooth R&B with light synth fills, beautiful backing harmonies, and a hot guitar solo from Montoya. "Forever," originally recorded by the Marvelettes, is done as a Soul Blues ballad with a fantastic performance on the drums by Stephen Ferrone. Understated is the word to describe the drumming here. Ferrone provides his skills on the skins throughout I Want It All Back, sitting out only on "Don't Go Makin' Plans," where Gorden Campbell sits at the kit. Other musicians who play throughout the album include Courtney Branch on percussion and Reggie McBride on bass. Now, obviously, the drumming isn't the only highlight from this particular tune, but I feel it's necessary to give a shoutout to the other musicians on a record whenever I get the chance. "Cry Lonely" is a cool tune with lots of interesting layers. There's a crunchy guitar sound from Keb' Mo, some more killer drumming from Ferrone, a nice cowbell beat driving in the background from Branch, and some keyboard sounds from Paris that at times sound other-worldly. It's all backing the fantastic vocals and low key guitar work of Montoya. "Cry Lonely," as well as the song's follow-up "As Close As I Have Come," were both co-written by award winning songwriter Gary Nicholson, an amazing songwriter who has worked with a who's-who of artists across genres ranging from Garth Brooks and Tommy Castro to Robert Plant and Ringo Starr. (Seriously, check out this list of artists Nicholson's worked with, it's unbelievable.) "The Life of My Broken Heart" was the first tune off of I Want It All Back that I heard, spinning it on my radio show after the CD first arrived. Written by Jeff Paris, the song is simply awesome. Paris provides keyboards and some wonderful Hammond B3, Keb' Mo' lays down rhythm guitar and backing vocals, and Coco Montoya pours his soul into every lyric and guitar lick. Reggie McBride's bass is killer here, as well. It seems like it's almost galloping at times, as it bounces throughout the tune. "The One Who Really Loves You" is a great take on the Mary Wells hit with particular emphasis on Montoya's guitar playing. "Fannie Mae" is a hardcore Blues with special guests Rod Piazza on harp and Honey Alexander on piano. "Don't Go Makin' Plans" is a Funk tune written by Montoya himself. Paris also penned "She's Gonna Need Somebody," which features tongue twisting lyrics and a funky groove in it's own right. I Want It All Back closes with a beautiful version of Jackson Browne's "Somebody's Baby" (a song which I adore.) Paulie Cerra provides saxophone on the track. Montoya and Keb' Mo's harmonies on the chorus are just great. The don't stray too far from the original feel of this classic on I Want It All Back, but there are enough changes to make it their own, and it's very well done. Cerra's sax puts the tune on another level. I Want It All Back is a great effort by Coco Montoya, Mo', Paris, and Ruf Records. It's certainly not a straight up-and-down Blues record, but there's no bias against that from me. It's a nice, genre jumping album that provides the listener with an idea of some of the sounds that shaped Montoya as an artist. More importantly, I Want It All Back does a great job of accomplishing what it set out to do, and that is to make Montoya's vocals more of a focal point in his music, while still highlighting his great command of the frets. Bravo! Standout Tracks: "The Life of My Broken Heart," "Somebody's Baby," and "Fannie Mae" Use the Widget Below To Hear Clips and Purchase Songs From I Want It All Back Have A Blues Review Of Your Own?Are You Excited About This Release? Have You Heard This CD Yet? We Want Your Opinion! Share It With Us!
|
Known for his mastery of the guitar (which he plays upside down, left handed), I Want It All Back sees a shift in focus to Montoya's terrific vocals. It's ironic considering his voice was the first aspect of Montoya's music that I noticed when I was first exposed to him. The album is co-produced by Keb' Mo' and Jeff Paris, who also lend their talents on rhythm guitar and keys, respectively. I'm liking this album already.
