San Luis Obispo Blues Society Upcoming Events Saturday, December 4, 2004 COCO MONTOYA with The Cinders SLO Vets Hall 801 Grand Avenue 8PM  Members $15 / General Admission $17 Saturday, January 22: Mark Hummel

BLUES REVIEW
It’s time for the annual San Luis Obispo Blues Society Semi-Formal Dress Optional Holiday Show and Dance Celebration.  The Blues Society welcomes Coco Montoya on Saturday, December 4, 2004.  The Cinders will be opening the show.  The show starts at 8:00 pm at the San Luis Obispo Vets Hall, 801 Grand Avenue.  Tickets are $15 for Blues Society members and $17 for the general public.  All tickets are sold at the door.  21 and over please.  Buy a membership for $10 at the door and get $2 off admission for a year of shows.

COCO MONTOYA
Over the course of his 30-year career, Coco Montoya’s explosive guitar playing and heartfelt vocals have made him one of the biggest names in the blues-rock world.  Living Blues has called him one of the truly gifted blues artists of his generation.  Montoya maintains an ambitious touring schedule of over 200 dates a year at clubs, concert halls, and festivals around the world, while continuing to record.

Coco Montoya was born in Santa Monica in 1951 and was raised by working class parents with a large record collection.  He grew up playing the drums in local bands.  His blues career began in the mid-1970s after a chance meeting with blues great Albert Collins, who offered him a gig as a drummer.  It was during this time that Coco began doubling on guitar.  Collins went out of his way to mentor his new protégé, “We’d sit in hotel rooms for hours and play guitar,” remembers Montoya, “He’d play that beautiful rhythm of his and just have me play along.”  In the early 1980s, Coco joined John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers and toured with them for ten years, playing with fellow guitarist Walter Trout and contributing to several of Mayall’s albums.  In 1993, when Collins encouraged him to strike out on his own, Montoya left the Bluesbreakers and started his own band.

By 1995, Montoya had established a reputation as one of the most powerful performers on the blues circuit, tearing up clubs and knocking out festival audiences around the country with his spectacular shows.  In 1996, his first CD, Gotta Mind to Travel (Blind Pig), earned him four WC Handy Award nominations and an award for Best New Blues Artist.  In 2000, Suspicion (Alligator) held the number one position on the Living Blues radio chart for three straight months.  His newest release Can’t Look Back (Alligator) is described as “blistering contemporary blues…piercing attack, funky, shivery guitar tones and aggressive, soulful vocals” by Blues Review.

THE CINDERS
The Cinders are a blues quartet featuring the exceptional vocals of Brett Hoover, a first-class exponent of blue-eyed soul.  He comes to singing the blues quite naturally, conveying an innate vocal mastery that is solid and convincing.  The band is co-led by Dorian Michael, a guitarist with a raw southwest blues style.  For this appearance, visiting bassist Andy Kulakowsi and drummer Jim Stromberg round out the band.

VOLUNTEER
Your Blues Society is run entirely by volunteers. Besides a sense of accomplishment, volunteers get into the shows for free and receive a couple free drink tickets.  We could use your help, so call 541-7930 (our voice mail number) or e-mail the volunteer coordinator at SLOBluesSociety@yahoo.com and volunteer to work a shift at the show.

HOLIDAY GIFTS
We have new Blues Society t-shirts, both v-necks and crew necks, at a cost of $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers.  Dance concert passes will also be on sale for $15 per pass.  Blues memberships a nice gift too, and please remember to bring along the address of the recipient, so we can fill the pass out at the show.
 
 

CATALOG OF SHOWS	LOCAL BLUES PERFORMERS	CD REVIEWS	LINKS
October 2004 September 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 January 2004 December 2003 October 2003 September 2003 May 2003 March 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 September 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 January 2002 December 2001 October 2001 September 2001 July 2001 May 2001 April 2001 March 2001 January 2001 December 2000 November 2000 September 2000 July 2000 May 2000 April 2000 February 2000 January 2000 December 1999 October 1999 1998 Shows	Guy Budd Band Demolition Blues Valerie Johnson Life at the Top Gary Mendoza Band Mighty Croon Dogs Texicali Divas Karen Tyler	Janiva Magness Guitar Shorty Smokin' Joe Kubeck & Bnois King Jody Williams Chris Thomas King Charles Brown Tommy Castro Deborah Coleman Ernie Hawkins Guy Davis LJ Evans Hot Blues May 02 Omar & the Howlers Popa Chubby Michelle Wilson Blind Pig 25 Anniversary Any Woman's Blues Eric Bibb Ernie Hawkins	The Blues Foundation Cambria Hoot

[an error occurred while processing this directive]