Birthdays: Carlos Santana (79)

 

Happy 79th birthday to Carlos Santana!

“If people take the time to look from the beginning, what I listened to was John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed and Lightnin’ Hopkins. Then, later on, Peter Green\ and Michael Bloomfield. They were disciples of B.B. King, and me too, except that I got away from B.B King when I discovered Gábor Szabó A lot of people came from B.B King. They also listened to Freddie King and to Albert King, but for some reason B.B. King was the centerpiece for a lot of musicians that wanted to play the blues. I think it was due to his honesty, the rawness of his playing, and his heart.

“To me, Gábor was a very, very elegant gypsy guitarist. He was Hungarian, from Budapest. I learned a lot from him, especially because of the way he played with Willie Bobo, Victor Pantoja and Chico Hamilton. His playing was very, very different. In San Francisco at that time, everybody was listening to the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Janis Joplin. But I was listening to Gábor Szabó a lot, and Wes Montgomery.

“Peter Green was a very good friend. I miss him terribly. I’m grateful that we toured together a lot of times. You know, he would catch a plane and he would just appear and play with Santana. He would leave Fleetwood Mac for a little bit, and then he will come sit in with us. I identify with the way he played the guitar because he was very lyrical. The only other person that is like that was Gary Moore. A lot of musicians play guitar, but very few people get deep, deep, deep, into the guitar, like Gary Moore, Peter Green, and myself. But again, we all came from B.B. King. BB King is the guy.”

Mark Thompson / Blues Blast Interview

Photo: Robert Knight

Don's Tunes

Santana - Evil Ways 1969 "Woodstock" Live Video Sound

we often play Soul Sacrifice or Black Magic Woman but really play this Evil Ways to Persuasion somehow - just me?

So here’s some of his finest live work! Happy Birthday Devadip!

Santana - "She's Not There" (Live at Watsonville High School Football Field 1989)

Santana - Hope You're Feeling Better | Live at Tanglewood (1970)

and as he is kind enough to mention Peter here they are at the Hall of Fame Induction

Santana and Peter Green perform "Black Magic Woman" at the 1998 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.