#2 Shaman and Supernatural- Carlos Santana
At #2, I offer twin albums released three years apart that connected with me personally, musically and symbolically.
Santana, a product of San Francisco, burst into national prominence at Woodstock and has widely been recognized as one of the most expressive guitarists in the history of recorded music. His music blends Latin, blues, jazz and rock elements as seamlessly as any artist. Prior to the release of these two albums, his career is marked with a long stream of hits, a good number of commercial flops, and a series of transitions attempting to match his formidable musical gifts with artists and compositions that could resonate with listeners. Results were mixed.
The concept of collaboration albums was in use regularly around the time of the release of these two albums, but the efforts were primarily nostalgic (Frank Sinatra’s “Duets” and Ray Charles’ “Genius Loves Company”) or genre specific like Dr. Dre’s Chronic 2001, which to me was like adding dough to dough to make a bigger, better loaf of bread. On Shaman and Supernatural, Santana collaborates with a number of high energy young artists across genres and in essence mixing apples, cherries or peaches with dough, creating a unique and appetizing fruit pie. (Sorry, I’m Italian, I think in food metaphors).
I will always associate the music and energy of these albums with my the years I spent trying to make an impact in Los Angeles, both through my involvement in an East LA not for profit organization and the countless hours I spent with my coaching brothers on hot fields (“seven inches from the midday sun”) forming young men through baseball drills like the one we lovingly called “Death by Fungo”. (again, from the song “Smooth”, “give me your heart, make it real or else forget about it”).
These albums were Santana’s best-selling and most award-winning, the first of which was released the year after his induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That status might well have been the impetus for the collaboration concept, but regardless, these records are evidence of a fundamental concepts I try to incorporate into my daily thinking- the significance of the other. People need each other. We very rarely make a contribution of our best selves alone, and the more diverse our associations, the greater the opportunity exists for our best selves to find their maximum impact.
Shaman and Supernatural give me energy and make me feel good about life and its possibilities.
