Although he grew up on a steady diet of rock n' roll, Coco Montoya broadened his musical palette in the mid-1970s when he started playing the blues. The young musician, a drummer at the time, was taken under the wing of the "Master of the Telecaster" Albert Collins, who brought him on tour and taught him blues guitar from scratch. In 1985, Montoya joined John Mayall's legendary Bluesbreakers band, filling a spot once held by Eric Clapton. In the mid-1990s, the guitarist launched a solo career with his debut, Gotta Mind to Travel. In 2007, he released his sixth album, Dirty Deal, on Alligator Records. I Want It All Back followed in 2010.