Santana

I've loved Carlos Santana for as long as I can remember. It all began when I heard the Moonflower album (on vinyl) back in the early 70s. It was the most beautiful music I had ever heard in my life and I wondered why everybody wasn't listening to it.

But everybody wasn't listening to it. I learned that most people didn't care much about it.

Fortunately, my friend Pat also understood Carlos, and since that time, Pat has gone on to emulate Carlos in many ways: Pat's style of playing and his love for percussion are only two similarities between the two. Then, not long ago, Pat purchased a Paul Reed Smith guitar, which is the same guitar that Carlos plays.

It's beautiful, and I hope you get the chance to see Pat play some time. He is the driving force behind a band called East Avenue and he's one of my good friends.

Oh yeah, Pat's other key influence is Jimmy Page, so you're gonna like his work either way.

For me, Carlos opened up the heavens. He gave me a thousand percussion sounds, most of which I try to emulate to this day in my own playing.

So, my message for today is this: Get your hands on some Carlos Santana and give it a good listen. It's absolutely amazing.

And if you're a real music hound, you should be sure to use this opportunity to fill in your Carlos Santana music catalog, because, as they say, "It's all good..."

DokTor

PS-If you want two song recommendations, try Toussant L'overture or Europa (get them from iTunes).