Between its inception in 1966 to 1984, the band Santana experienced no less that 16 different lineups. After nearly two decades of creating their distinctive brand of Latin-flavored rock, as well as forays into jazz-rock fusion, album sales had significantly declined. Still the band remained an in-demand touring band, performing before sold out audiences worldwide. The musical direction of Santana was constantly evolving and changing, but throughout its history, one constant remained—bandleader Carlos Santana, who had developed one of the most penetrating and highly distinctive styles of…entire summary
Greg Walker - lead vocals, percussion
Carlos Santana - guitar, vocals
Tom Coster - keyboards
Chester Thompson - keyboards
Keith Jones - bass, vocals
Graham Lear - drums
Orestes Vilato - timbales, percussion
Armando Peraza - bongos, percussion
Raul Rekow - congas, percussion
Between its inception in 1966 to 1984, the band Santana experienced no less that 16 different lineups. After nearly two decades of creating their distinctive brand of Latin-flavored rock, as well as forays into jazz-rock fusion, album sales had significantly declined. Still the band remained an in-demand touring band, performing before sold out audiences worldwide. The musical direction of Santana was constantly evolving and changing, but throughout its history, one constant remained—bandleader Carlos Santana, who had developed one of the most penetrating and highly distinctive styles of lead guitar ever.
At the time of this hometown concert at Berkeley's intimate Community Theatre, Santana was in yet another transitional era. As a band, they were experiencing their longest break from recording so far, with 1982's Shango being their latest release. Earlier in the year, Carlos toured Europe with Bob Dylan. He had also released and toured his own solo album, 1983's Havana Moon, the previous year. In a sign of things to come nearly two decades later, this recording featuring collaborations with a diverse lineup of guests. These included country star Willie Nelson, R&B legend Booker T. Jones, and popular blues-rockers the Fabulous Thunderbirds.
Although only the tail end of the performance is captured here, it is a thoroughly engaging conclusion that doesn't let up. Containing cover songs only and several impressive solos, the sequence begins with a blazing version of the Zombies' "She's Not There." Originally included on the 1977 Moonflower album, this is equally hot, with impressive vocals from Greg Walker and scorching leads from Carlos. The final piece performed begins with an adventurous take on the blues standard, "Shake Your Moneymaker." Although initially loose, this really gets cooking with outstanding piano work from Tom Coster and the entire band obviously having a great time. This eventually segues into a brief showcase for Orestes Vilato, who jams with himself, using percussive vocal sounds to compliment his expertise on timbales. This segues into a contemplative, gospel-flavored keyboard barrage by keyboardists Coster and Thompson, while Walker belts out a few lines from Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready." A funky little vamp continues as Carlos introduces the band members to end the concert.
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