The Father of Re-invention

Comments (0) By Ernest Barteldes Thursday, Sep 25 2008

More About

Few artists have gone through more reinventions than this Mexican-born guitarist has, going from his Latin-jam days fueled by his unforgettable appearance in the Woodstockmovie to his lackluster days in the 80s (even though his band was still considered a top live act) and his resurgence after his multi-Grammy winner Supernatural back almost a decade ago (remember “Smooth”?). In the meantime, Santana has flirted with various other musical formats that few associate him with – take for instance his collaborations with the likes of Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin and other jazz luminaries with whom he's shared the spotlight in recent years. These days, Santana has stuck to the formula that made Supernatural a hit, putting out records with the participation of industry heavies. His last release having been 2005's All That I Am, which features Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Metallica's Kirk Hammett (among others). On the current tour, he is in a way passing the torch to the next generation by hiring the band led by his son and fellow guitarist Salvador Santana, which has a more R&B-oriented sound – meaning that fans will get two Santanas for the price of one. -
Sat., Sept. 27, 8 p.m., 2008