VIVA CARLOS! A SUPERNATURAL MARATHON CELEBRATION

This is one of the better tribute albums I've come around so far. The basic idea here is to let 10 different well know guitar players the opportunity to add their flavouring to some of Santana's better known tunes.

And to give each of them a common starting point, a fixed backing band is assembled.

Which makes it easy for the listener to hear the more or less subtle variations in presentation each of the 10 guitar players have.

In addition, the songs here come across as more accessible than Santana's own versions of these tunes; as the backing band here comes across as a much more structured group than Santana's own backing band.

The end result is an album showcasing the variations in presentation a guitar player can make when playing Santana's tunes, as well as an album that is a good starting point for anyone who wants to start exploring the musical world of Santana.

Listening through this release before starting to digest the master's own works will for most curios music lovers be an advantage. Especially listeners with a non-latin cultural background will benefit from this.