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Coco Montoya

"Suspicion"

Alligator Records

Coco Montoya has already established a firm foothold in the ranks of great blues guitarists. His new album shows off more of Coco's mastery while stretching out a bit "Beyond The Blues,"- also the title of one of the album's best tracks.

Suspicion takes off with the blistering ultimatum, Enough Is Enough, which sets the pace for 55 minutes of powerful performances. Montoya's roots in Albert collins band show up in the long-lost collins classic Get Your Business Straight. coco takes a shot at fickle women in You Didn't Think About That, a David Steen composition. Steen, who also plays rhythm guitar, wrote several of the songs, including the scorching Beyond The Blues. Coco slows down on Trading One Fool For Another, a savory slow blues, the inspirational Good Days, Bad Days, and Nothing But Love, a sweet tribute to a lost friend.

His first album for Alligator Records, Suspicion is an admirable addition to Montoya's recorded legacy. No studio album has yet captured the magic that he brings to his live performances but this one comes the closest so far. When playing for a live audience, coco occasionally reaches some stratospheric regions. Maybe a studio session with an audience would be a good idea sometime.

Norman Davis