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Like many artists, Carlos Santana has always seen the blues as a
vital component of his music and has employed that genre in his work
throughout the decades. While most prominently known for his Latin guitar
sound, he can also play the blues with the best of 'em. In July 2004 at the
Montreux Festival he was given the opportunity to present as well as perform
with three legendary bluesmen who are among his favorites- Buddy Guy,
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Bobby Parker. Each artist plays a full
concert set, being joined by Santana as well as other guests such as Nile
Rodgers and Barbara Morrison.
Buddy Guy is a long revered blues guitarist, having fronted bands as
well as backing Muddy Waters and Junior Wells. Here he takes the stage
without his trademark Stratocaster, opting for an acoustic guitar. He delves
back into the acoustic roots of the blues, opening with a wonderful
rendition of the staple "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" as well as covering
such as "Louie McGhee" and "Done Got Old". When Buddy plugs in his electric
guitar later in the set is when things really start to get loud, working
with some classic tunes such as "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "Fever', the
oft-covered song originally associated with bluesman Little Willie John.
Guest guitarist Carlos Santana hits the stage to assist in rousing
renditions of "I've Got My Mojo Working", "Drifter" and Grape Jelly", then
is joined by Nile Rodgers for "Okie Dokie Stomp".
In blues music Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown is sacred. While he is
revered as an elder statesman of the genre, he sees his work as "American
music"- Texas style". Louisiana-born and raised in Texas, he learned to play
guitar and the fiddle from his father, a railroad worker and after serving
in the U.S. Army began to make his career in music. He was inducted into the
Blues Foundation Hall Of Fame in and won a Grammy award for the 1982 album
"Alright Again". Brown passed away in September, 2005, but here you see the
80 year old wonder giving a fine performance before succumbing to emphysema
and lung disease.
Bobby Parker is a curious musician who can do it all, writing
wonderful songs, playing powerful guitar and giving fans a great singling
voice to accompany his material. He is likely best-known for his 1961 song,
"Watch Your Step," a single for the V-Tone label that became a hit on
British and U.S. R&B charts, and has been sited as a major influence by
artist the likes of Eric Clapton, John Mayall, Jimmy Page, Spencer Davis,
Robin Trower, John Lennon and Santana, who did his own take on "Watch Your
Step" on his "Havana Moon" album. Carlos has gone on record as saying that
Parker is the man who inspired him to play guitar, so his inclusion as one
of the performers here is a no brainer. His blues is a soul soaked blend
recalling the likes of Bobby Bland and James Brown.
Here is a list of all three performers' concerts and the songs performed
in each set-
Disc One - Bobby Parker
1. Straight Up No Chaser
2. Break It Up
3. Breaking Up Somebody's Home
4. Nothing But the Blues
5. So Glad I Found You
6. I Ain't Superstitious
7. It's Unfair
8. Going Down Slow
9. Chill Out (feat Carlos Santana)
10. Mellow Down Easy (feat Carlos Santana)
11. Watch Your Step (feat Carlos Santana)
Disc Two - Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
1. Bits and Pieces
2. Strange Things Happen
3. I'm Beginning to See the Light
4. Sunrise Cajun Style
5. Honey Boy
6. Further On Up the Road
7. I've Got My Mojo Working (feat Carlos Santana & Buddy Guy)
8. Drifter (feat Carlos Santana)
9. Grape Jelly (feat Carlos Santana)
10. Okie Dokie Stomp (feat Carlos Santana & Niles Rogers)
Disc Three - Buddy Guy
1. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
2. Louise McGhee
3. Done Got Old
4. Hoochie Coochie Man
5. Fever
6. Drowning on Dry Land
7. Stormy Monday (feat Carlos Santana)
8. Jam Session 1 (feat Carlos Santana & Buddy Parker)
9. So Many Roads So Many Trains (feat Carlos Santana & Bobby Parker)
10. Jam Session 2 (feat Carlos Santana, Niles Rogers & Bobby Parker)
Founded in 1967, the Montreux Jazz Festival has established itself as one of
the most prestigious music events in the world. The extraordinary list of
artists who have played there over the last 30 years is drawn from across
the musical spectrum. With the consent of both the festival and the artists,
Eagle Vision is making these concerts available for the first time on DVD.
While a statement like this could be construed as hype by many, the list of
concert DVDs the company has already released is indeed diverse and
star-studded. This reviewer has already watched and/or written reviews of
Montreux performances by the likes of Eric Clapton, Johnny Cash, Steve
Earle, Alice Cooper, The Jeff Healy Band, James Brown, Candy Dulfer, Suzanne
Vega, Nina Simone, Ray Charles, David Sanborn, Joe Sample, Marcus Miller,
Bonnie Raitt, Ella Fitzgerald, Canned Heat.....the list goes on and on. With
three decades of great musicians and performances in the vaults I'm hopeful
there will be many more gems like this to come.
Video-
Aspect ratio for the set is listed as 16x9 Screen Format. All three shows
look very good; imaging is sharp with solid blacks and accurate colors.
Audio-
Eagle Vision has been doing some wonderful work in regards to the sonic
aspect of their Live At Montreux series. The choices available here are
Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS Surround Sound and PCM Stereo. The 5.1 and DTS tracks
here are excellent; spacious and clear with plenty of depth at the lower
end, these discs certainly sine in the sonic department.
Extras-
No extras.
Final Thoughts-
Clocking in at a whopping 237 minutes, there is plenty of great blues guitar work on display
here for anyone. All three of the discs contain fine
performances by some true legends in in the game, and while one is bound to
have preferences within the set, the low MSRP for three full concerts is
incentive for anyone who enjoys blues to have this release on their shelves.
Recommended. |
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