Santana - In Search of Mona Lisa

[GA Russell]

1.  Santana - Do You Remember Me 09:48         2.  Santana - In Search Of Mona Lisa 05:09         3.  Santana - Lovers From Another Time 04:44         4.  Santana - Do You Remember Me (Edit Version) 03:28         5.  Santana - In Search Of Mona Lisa (Edit Version) 03:52

CARLOS SANTANA DELIVERS INSPIRING AND IMPASSIONED NEW EP, IN SEARCH OF MONA LISA, OUT TODAY     On three spellbinding and transportive new songs, the multiple GRAMMY-winning guitarist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee takes listeners inside a magical and deeply personal experience he had when he visited the Louvre Museum for the first time and set his eyes on Leonardo da Vinci’s beguiling masterpiece.   A new full-length album produced by Rick Rubin will be released this summer.   2019 marks the 20th anniversary of Carlos Santana’s groundbreaking album Supernatural and the 50th anniversary of his legendary performance at Woodstock. Santana will celebrate these milestones with an energy-infused tour highlighting hits from Supernatural as well as many others from his long list of greatest hits.   For More Information Official Site: www.santana.com  Facebook: www.facebook.com/carlossantana  Instagram: www.instagram.com/carlossantana  Twitter: www.twitter.com/santanacarlos  YouTube: www.youtube.com/santanaofficial

[Guy Berger]

I’ve heard some of this stuff on Spotify and it was pleasant.

[felser]

8 hours ago, Guy Berger said:

I’ve heard some of this stuff on Spotify and it was pleasant.

I long for the time when Santana was much more than "pleasant".  The Rick Rubin-produced album could be interesting.  Santana IV and especially the live set with the original band were inspiring, but that's about it for the past 25 years.

[Guy Berger]

4 hours ago, felser said:

I long for the time when Santana was much more than "pleasant".  The Rick Rubin-produced album could be interesting.  Santana IV and especially the live set with the original band were inspiring, but that's about it for the past 25 years.

Fortunately we still have the late 60s / early 70s Santana recordings to fulfill that longing

[Dave James]

I've seen Santana a half a dozen times.  The last of these was a couple of summers ago at an outdoor venue in Marysville, Washington.  Several years back, he added his wife, drummer Cindy Blackman, to his band. All I'll say about that is this... where are Michael Shrieve or Graham Lear when you need them?  She's just a bad fit.  They reprised some of the warhorses you wanted to hear but it seemed like they were just discharging an obligation.  Then, out of the blue,  they covered a song by Enya.  At that point, I knew it was time to call for the check. 

Edited March 12, 2019 by Dave James

[Guy Berger]

2 hours ago, Dave James said:

I've seen Santana a half a dozen times.  The last of these was a couple of summers ago at an outdoor venue in Marysville, Washington.  Several years back, he added his wife, drummer Cindy Blackman, to his band. All I'll say about that is this... where are Michael Shrieve or Graham Lear when you need them?  She's just a bad fit.  They reprised some of the warhorses you wanted to hear but it seemed like they were just discharging an obligation.  Then, out of the blue,  they covered a song by Enya.  At that point, I knew it was time to call for the check. 

Santana has been "discharging an obligation" for a long time, long before Cindy Blackman joined his band.  She's an excellent drummer, not sure why we'd compare her unfavorably to, of all people, Graham Lear 

I'm not sure you can blame Santana's post-1976 shark jump on any single person but if you had to choose just one personnel change, Lear replacing Shrieve is a top candidate

[Dave James]

1 hour ago, Guy Berger said:

Santana has been "discharging an obligation" for a long time, long before Cindy Blackman joined his band.  She's an excellent drummer, not sure why we'd compare her unfavorably to, of all people, Graham Lear 

I'm not sure you can blame Santana's post-1976 shark jump on any single person but if you had to choose just one personnel change, Lear replacing Shrieve is a top candidate

I don't think Blackman's style is a good match for Santana's music.  His style is so percussion heavy, the drummer needs to be less intrusive than she tends to be.  When I saw them at Marysville, she took a solo on "Soul Sacrifice" that practically ruined the song.  And as long as you brought up Graham Lear, what is it  you don't like about his style?  He was with the band a couple of times I saw them and I thought he was fine.  Not Michael Shrieve fine, but more than serviceable.  

[felser]

Santana even had some interesting work as late as 1992's "Milagro", but nonetheless he went off a high cliff after "Welcome", and off a much lower cliff between "Milagro" and the Arista mega-platinum atrocities.  As far as Blackman, I agree that she's a good drummer, very busy and powerful, but she's a jazz drummer per se, and doesn't really leave room for other percussionists.  Lear was able to do that, and I thought he was fine, though of course he's no Michael Shrieve, who was the perfect drummer for Santana (the group).   And Santana (the guitarist) proved conclusively on "Swing of Delight" that he is not a jazz player per se.    Don't sleep on this, which has a lot of totally unanticipated magic.

 

[gvopedz]

16 hours ago, felser said:

Santana even had some interesting work as late as 1992's "Milagro", but nonetheless he went off a high cliff after "Welcome",

I would say Greg Walker was Santana's best vocalist, and Walker appeared after "Welcome".

[felser]

25 minutes ago, gvopedz said:

I would say Greg Walker was Santana's best vocalist, and Walker appeared after "Welcome".

I actually think Leon Patillo was, but agree Walker was good, as was Alex Ligterwood (and Buddy MIles in his "Vera Cruz" cameo).   But I was always fine with Gregg Rollie.

[mr jazz]

I saw Walker and Lighterwood together at a show in the 80s. Walker was far superior.  I enjoyed the Santana IV show-Shrieve hasn't lost a step and really drives the band. Too bad Carlos won't tour with the group.

[gvopedz]

Speaking of Buddy Miles, the Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live! album needs to be remastered and remixed and re-everything else!.