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Carlos Santana - Carlos Santana & Alice Coltrane: Illuminations CD (album) cover

CARLOS SANTANA & ALICE COLTRANE: ILLUMINATIONS

Carlos Santana

 

Jazz Rock/Fusion

4.00 | 100 ratings

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snobb
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Beside Santana band"s great success in early 70-s, band's leader Carlos Santana released series of solo duets. He started with not very successful live recorded album with Buddy Miles, then released excellent duet with John McLaughlin. This album is third and last in this series.

This time Santana plays with Coltrane 's widow Alice, strong string musician and arranger on her own right. Music is very different from usual Santana band's and solo recordings, and is highly influenced by free-jazz and Indian music. As a result, this recording is possibly most difficult and less accessible album in all Santana career. But there you can hear Carlos can play!

In fact this album received disappointing critics and fans reaction from time of release. Millions of fans waited melodic Latin rock or Santana's guitar driven hot jazz-rock. But music there is very different. Meditative, with strong oriental scent, free-form, it was never accepted by wide listener. But it's a big mistake, because only hear every listener has a rare possibility to hear Santana playing excellent, but very different guitar music. Complex structures and absolutely different guitar sound give great possibility to hear Carlos as real jazz fusion musician.

This instrumental album generally has nothing in common with nice but stereotype Carlos guitar sound signature. If you're searching for one more "classic" Santana's guitar solo, just chose his any other album. But this one is for those interested in delightful and very different great guitarist sound and searching for Santana's most serious musical work till now.

Very recommended for everyone who is not sure if Santana is great JAZZ-ROCK musician.

snobb | 4/5 |

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