It must be a rare occasion that something is musically daunting to guitarist Carlos Santana. Still, placing his imprint on the music of Led Zeppelin or Jimi Hendrix took some thought after producer Clive Davis suggested Santana re-invent the most beloved guitar classics of all time.
“I think it was a little intimidating to someone who is as honest with their music as Carlos is,” the legendary music producer said. “It took him about a year to call back … and he said, ‘Let’s go.’ "
The result is a new album of collaborations with Chris Daughtry, Indie.Arie and many others, titled “Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time.” The release will be in stores in September.
Thursday, Santana brings his Afro-Latin-rock-blues fusion to Chastain Park Amphitheater. [Earlier this month, he proposed to drummer Cindy Blackman during a Chicago-area concert.]
During a recent phone conversation with the AJC, Davis discussed his long-standing friendship with Santana, and gave his take on Lady Gaga and the pop music landscape. In addition to the new album, Davis and Santana co-produced the 1999 mega-hit CD, “Supernatural,” which won nine Grammy Awards.
Q: You and Santana go back 40 years?
A: He was about the third artist I signed at Columbia Records [in 1967]. I had signed [Janis] Joplin and Blood Sweat and Tears. Bill Graham, the legendary music promoter, asked me to fly to Filmore West [then a famous music venue in San Francisco] to audition a new artist that he felt special about. It turned out to be the Santana band. Obviously I was knocked out by the fusion of African and Latin, and rock and blues.
Q: What inspired the “Supernatural” album in 1999?
A: By that time, Carlos was a spiritualist and he was trying very much to see what was missing in his life. ...we agreed on a blueprint where I would pick six songs that were organic to Santana [such as "Smooth" and "Maria Maria"] and he would do the other six in material that was indigenous to what Santana was about.
Q: Santana has an intangible quality that connects to his listener’s spirit in much the same way John Coltrane’s music has.
A: He would love to hear you say that. He even said it from the stage on Sunday night that two of his greatest inspirations were John Coltrane and Miles Davis.
Q: Can you describe what you might bring to one artist versus another?
A: You've got to see whether the artist needs marketing or material. With Whitney Houston, I had a creative partnership.…It's been finding [songs] and choosing copyrights that have certainly stood through the '80s, '90s etc., as the soundtrack of many people's lives.
In the case of an Alicia Keys, she is a young renaissance woman who writes her own material in the same ways of when I worked with The Grateful Dead, or [Bruce] Springsteen, or Patti Smith.…You’ve got to wait for them to give birth to that material. And in the case of Alicia, it was bringing her to the attention of Oprah, radio and TV.
Q: Is Lady Gaga changing music or is she more of a trend?
A: This is a real artist. I was very impressed with her at Sting and his wife, Trudie's, Rainforest concert. I saw her with no production just sitting at a piano trading off with Sting one time, and trading off with Elton John another time. She sang great. I think it spoke wonders that she was willing to take the stage and do two formidable duets, and be able to pull them off.
Q: How can new artists avoid the traps of fame?
A: The market is very fickle and changeable. The greatest artists stay focused. It's one thing if you write the way Alicia does. If you don't, then the key to long-term success is being open to the survival of the best material for you. I'm working with Jennifer Hudson and Leona Lewis right now and we've got to get the best material. You've also got to be on the radio.
Q: Do you have an idea why several Atlanta concerts have been canceled this summer?
A: I think the economy has affected how the consumer has to pick and choose. I saw Carlos the other night at the Jones Beach concert in New York. It [seats] like 14,000 and it was packed to the rafters.
Concert preview
Guitarist Carlos Santana performs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Chastain Park Amphitheater. Special guest Steve Winwood. 4469 Stella Drive N.W., Atlanta. 404-233-2227, www.livenation.com .
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