and Carlos Santana
(Photo by Coni Night Loon Beeson)
You’d think that having recently turned 68, Carlos Santana would be looking to take his foot off the gas. If that’s the case, then you’d be wrong. In addition to hitting the road for a few months behind the release of last year’s Corazón, the guitar legend has a number of projects lined up:
Original Santana Band Reunion
“We just finished an album with the original Santana band—Neal Schon, Gregg Rolie, Michael Shrieve and Michael Carabello. Right now, my sight is on mixing the album with Santana.”
Ronald Isley
“I’m also about to start a new project with someone I absolutely love and adore, which is Ronnie Isley. If you listen to the original ‘Twist and Shout,’ and not the one by The Beatles, [he absolutely nails it]. I’m excited to be going into the studio with him and recording a great album.”
Jazz Supergroup
“I started a rumor with Wayne Shorter’s blessings that we’re going to put a band together. Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, my wife Cindy and myself and we’ll have to find a bass player. I’ll leave that to Wayne and Herbie to select. It might be Esperanza Spalding, but it’s up to them. Next spring or summer, I’ll be ready for the supernova with [Wayne and those guys]. That’s like sitting down with Einstein, Hawking and Nicola Tesla. The word genius gets thrown around a lot but when you say Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock, they are like the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.”
World Music Album
“I have eyes to do a Persian album in the future from Istanbul all the way to Kuala Lampor. I heard that a lot of young people in that part of the world are into Santana and Metallica. I started to listen to some of that music and I thought they were killing it. They are my brothers and sisters and I would like to be able to grow and learn from them because they have their own way of putting things together. I’m just open. Like Tony Bennett, I’m open man (laughs).”
