Carlos Santana: 'Elvin is the beat of life itself'

[blue lake]

Carlos Santana: 'Elvin is the beat of life itself'

"In fact, when I die, if I don't hear 'A Love Supreme,' I'll turn back; I'll

know I'm in the wrong place."

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/feature...-1a30varga.html

Carlos Santana: 'Elvin is the beat of life itself'

By George Varga

UNION-TRIBUNE POP MUSIC CRITIC

May 30, 2004

A hippie at heart, Carlos Santana has long championed music as a potent

force for creating positive vibrations that - as this veteran of the 1969

Woodstock festival puts it - "can change your molecular structure."

But the legendary rocker sounded uncharacteristically angry during a

discussion about the recent death of one of his musical heroes, jazz drum

icon Elvin Jones, who died May 18 of heart failure.

Santana, who will be honored in Los Angeles as the 2004 Latin Recording

Academy Person of the Year on Aug. 30, is incensed that Jones' death

elicited scant media coverage. He expressed his frustration during a recent

interview from his San Rafael office.

"I'm really embarrassed for this nation, and for MTV and VH1 and Rolling

Stone, because it was a very racist thing not to acknowledge this most

important musician when he passed," said Santana, whose 1999 album,

"Supernatural," won nine Grammys and has sold more than 25 million copies.

"For them to (play up) Ozzy Osbourne and other corny-ass white people, but

not Elvin, is demeaning and I'm really embarrassed to live in this country."

The mustachioed guitarist and bandleader first heard Jones in 1965 on the

John Coltrane Quartet's epic album "A Love Supreme," about a year after the

teenaged Santana moved to San Francisco from Tijuana and became an American

citizen. He was immediately struck by the force of the quartet's music and

the impact of Jones' polyrhythmic drumming.

"When that intro comes in on 'A Love Supreme' it's like the gates of heaven

opening," Santana, 56, said. "In fact, when I die, if I don't hear 'A Love

Supreme,' I'll turn back; I'll know I'm in the wrong place. For me, Elvin

was Número Uno, forever, for all ages, for all existence. I miss him

terribly; I've been playing his music nonstop since he died, especially

'Agenda' (from Jones' 1969 'Poly-Currents') with Joe Farrell (on sax). He

was a supreme drummer who was doing things that were totally different than

anyone else.

"When I hear Elvin's music I hear the pyramids, I hear African and

pre-Columbian music, and I hear the future. Elvin is the beat of life

itself, and his music transcends 'clever' or 'cute' or any superlatives.

When he and Coltrane played, and everyone else in the quartet dropped out,

that's what Jimi Hendrix would play if he was still alive. That's what John

McLaughlin wants to play, and he's alive, because there is nothing more pure

or vibrant than Coltrane and Elvin."

It is because he holds Jones in such high esteem that Santana was angry at

the absence of media tributes to the masterful drummer, who was 76 when he

died and kept performing until just weeks before his death.

The reason for the slight, Santana believes, is a matter of racial and

cultural prejudice.

"When Miles (Davis) died (in 1991), for four hours in France they stopped

everything on TV and radio - all the regular programming - and just showed

Miles for four hours, all through France," Santana recalled. "Here in the

U.S., it's embarrassing (how jazz is treated). People should be ashamed of

themselves."

MTV and VH1 are virtually jazz-free, and the music has historically been

held in much higher esteem abroad than here, in its homeland.

But Santana believes exceptions should be made for musicians as notable as

Jones, who Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron hailed as "a major force to be

reckoned with" who could "wow the pants off a jazz fan or non-jazz fan"

alike.

"If I would've been running MTV, I would've stopped all the corny stuff they

show and shown one of Elvin's (drum) solos. Because he represents the

highest level of creativity, like Duke Ellington," Santana said.

"America is such an ignorant country. I understand that I'm hard on America,

but if you look at all the (alarming) things on CNN, (you'll see) we need to

grow up quickly. We need to crystallize our existence because we place

economic values over spiritual ones.

"I'm hurt. And if I was a little hard or cruel with MTV and VH1, they

deserve it. They need to stop showing what they are showing, and show real

musicians. Why do they keep showing such stupidity? MTV needs to reassess

its priorities."

[7/4]

Santana bites the hand that feeds him?

[chris olivarez]

Santana bites the hand that feeds him?

Since this a two way relationship Santana could be feeding the hand that bites him.

[ralphie_boy]

Unfortunately the crap that gets airplay on MTV, VH1 and countless radio stations across the country is played because that's what the masses want to hear. They're catering to the lowest common denominator.

[7/4]

Unfortunately the crap that gets airplay on MTV, VH1 and countless radio stations across the country is played because that's what the masses want to hear. They're catering to the lowest common denominator.

Like Carlos Santana?

[ralphie_boy]

Good point! I'm not a fan of his songwriting; haven't been for a long time, but the guy can play the guitar.

[take5]

I understand his frustration with the lack of jazz appreciation in this country- I share it. But I don't think the racism claims are justified. I Jones had been white, he would be equally ignored.

The sad fact is that only jazz fans and musicians know about Jones, and we're a very small group of people. Maybe when Brubeck or someone like that passes it will be bigger news.

As for MTV and VH1- who actually expects them to do anything about music? And when have they ever acknowledged jazz? That would be like expecting Comedy Central to air Schindler's List.

[couw]

indeed. although a line like "When I hear Elvin's music I hear the pyramids, I hear African and pre-Columbian music, and I hear the future" may work wonders with the bored youths of today.

Mr Santana is a bit over the top I should think. As much as I love his music and playing, Elvin did not have the stature of Miles or Monk or Trane or Parker, Ellington, Satchmo, you name 'em. I wonder why he didn't get this upset when Kessel's death wasn't mentioned on the frontpage of all the major newspapers of this world.

[7/4]

indeed. although a line like "When I hear Elvin's music I hear the pyramids, I hear African and pre-Columbian music, and I hear the future" may work wonders with the bored youths of today.

Mr Santana is a bit over the top I should think. As much as I love his music and playing, Elvin did not have the stature of Miles or Monk or Trane or Parker, Ellington, Satchmo, you name 'em. I wonder why he didn't get this upset when Kessel's death wasn't mentioned on the frontpage of all the major newspapers of this world.

Good point. Drummers just don't get the credit. Even less people blinked when Tony Williams left the planet.

[catesta]

Looks like I share the same opinions as you guys.

I don't believe the lack of reporting about Elvin's death is racist, that was a ridiculous claim to make.

Santana seems to have a problem with MTV playing up Ozzy Osbourne and other "corny-ass white people", but seems to have no problem when they play his corny-ass up.

The guy can play guitar, but his music ain't all that inspiring.

[RainyDay]

Just a point of order but Santana had a successful career for more than a couple decades before MTV started playing his music and he'll still be going strong long after the flavor of the MTV week is long forgotten. Santana has a particular point of view about what he calls African music not getting respect. He's been saying this for a long time.

Maybe because he's a local guy and has been around for so long but I dig his music, I think he's a wonderful artist, and I don't trip on the way he expresses himself. He's been talking that way since forever. When Santana had his Fox TV special at the height of the Supernatural hysteria, he included Wayne Shorter. I'm sure few folks knew who Shorter was but he's a pal of Santana's and he wanted him on the show. I thought it was cool. When I saw Shorter three years ago, Santana was in the audience.

I don't know if it's racism that Elvin's death didn't get more media attention. (But I suspect it is true that when Brubeck dies, it will be a much bigger story and he will be hailed as a great innovator.) Even the pointless San Francisco Chronicle that refuses to cover jazz except Norah Jones (no one has filled them in that she isn't jazz) ran a nice obit with photo.

Jazz doesn't get good coverage in general. Jazz musicians are some of the most talented musicians out there and they get very little respect. I'm glad Carlos spoke up about Elvin. Maybe one punker will check out Elvin and discover something wonderfu.

Edited June 3, 2004 by RainyDay

[7/4]

"corny-ass white people"? "racism"?

[rockefeller center]

Santana, Shut Up 'N Stop Playing Yer Guitar.

[couw]

Santana, Shut Up 'N Stop Playing Yer Guitar.

yeah!

[rockefeller center]

Santana,  Shut Up 'N Stop Playing Yer Guitar.

yeah!

Chr chr chr. I think it's possible to lead a conversation by just quoting Z album titles.

[RainyDay]

"corny-ass white people"? "racism"?

Santana played the race card and he shouldn't have. Besides being wrong, the message gets lost. However, once upon a time, MTV publicly stated (over quite a period of time) they wouldn't play black music because they weren't interested in "that" demographic, and then Thriller happened and the bigotry of their position could no longer be avoided. Whatever.

I suspect Santana is grieving for Elvin and is furious that not more people will ever have any kind of clue about what a great musician he was. Attacking Ozzie is pointless just as attacking Santana for the failure of the press to cover Elvin's death better is pointless. Sometimes people lash out with hateful, ignorant things they don't even mean when they are hurting.

[PHILLYQ]

Give Carlos his props, though- he's the only guy I've seen wearing a 'Trane t-shirt on tv, and he even mentioned Miles & 'Trane in People magazine.

[chris olivarez]

I think that Rainy Day pretty much nailed it. Carlos is feeling the loss just like the people on this board but going after MTV and VH1 is a quixotic undertaking at best.

[Shrdlu]

Let's not get too far off the track. Obviously, Carlos's main point is that it stinks that not much media attention was paid when such a superb musician died. I agree with that. By the way, I had not heard about Elvin's death until I saw this post, which strengthens the point. Don't they call jazz "America's only native art form"? Yet is is treated with scandalous neglect. There ought to be room for at least one digital TV channel and one radio station in each major conurbation that plays jazz. But we won't see it.

[Leeway]

Here's a question implict in Santana's comments: Has the mainstream media's lack of attention to jazz been fundamentally a matter of race? WHY such a lack of attention?-- one must ask. Perhaps because jazz is identified as race music in much of the public consciousness, and therefore not to be given too much attention, ignored?

Instead of accepting the lack of attention to jazz as a given, we should always ask why that is. For example, check out the ownership of radio stations. Most are owned by two huge right-wing media giants, Clear Channel being the worst. They have homogenized the radio market so that wherever you go you get the same formulaic pap-- e.g, thousands of hours for Jessica Simpson. There are very few forums for jazz to be heard nowadays.

Yes, Santana's comments are uncomfortable. I don't think Carlos is a racist; he's been open to playing with, and addressing, all musical segments. But I think he's conveyed the racial frustration and antagonisms that are under, but still close to, the surface of American life. Seems like Santana's realing feeling it now. That's worth noting.

[7/4]

Let's not get too far off the track. Obviously, Carlos's main point is that it stinks that not much media attention was paid when such a superb musician died. I agree with that. By the way, I had not heard about Elvin's death until I saw this post, which strengthens the point. Don't they call jazz "America's only native art form"? Yet is is treated with scandalous neglect. There ought to be room for at least one digital TV channel and one radio station in each major conurbation that plays jazz. But we won't see it.

"corny-ass white people"? "racism"?