Carlos Santana Plays Blues at Montreux 2004, (2008)

by | Jul 28, 2008 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews | 0 comments

Carlos Santana Plays Blues at Montreux 2004, (2008)

Producers: Terry Shand & Geoff Kempin
Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment
Video: 16:9 widescreen color
Audio: DD 5.1, DTS 5.1, PCM Stereo
Length: 94 minutes
Rating: ****

I’m really surprised that this excellent disc didn’t make it as one of Eagle Rock’s series of Blu-ray concert discs they’ve been releasing over the last year or so. For any fan of not only the blues, but also of Carlos Santana, this superb presentation will become required watching. The disc focuses on performances from three blues artists, two of whom – Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and Buddy Guy – are instantly recognizable to most blues aficionados. The third, Bobby Parker, was unfamiliar to me, but in the excellent liner notes, Carlos Santana reveals that Parker’s signature tune, “Watch Your Step,” was as often emulated in Santana’s Tijuana origins along with other classics such as “Green Onions.” Most American blues artists heavily influenced the rock and roll generation, but even John Lennon said that he stole the riff from “Watch Your Step” for the Beatles “Day Tripper,” and at first listen, I immediately could tell where Jimmy Page got the intro for Led Zep’s “Heartbreaker!”

The concert is superb throughout, and opens with a set by Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown in which both Carlos Santana and Buddy Guy take supporting roles in his band, with the focus clearly on Gatemouth. Santana adds several superb solos, however, and takes a much more active role in the set by Bobby Parker, in which several Santana band members, including vocalist Andy Vargas participate in rousing versions of “Chill Out” and the aforementioned “Watch Your Step.” The disc concludes with a set by Buddy Guy that includes a fiery performance of “Stormy Monday” that evolves into a lengthy jam in which both Guy and Santana trade truly energetic solos.

Technically, this disc is superb, with an excellent image that only wavers occasionally (something that probably would have been alleviated on a Blu-ray release). The sound quality is magnificent, although, once again, any of Blu-ray’s available uncompressed options would probably be even better. When the performances are as good as this, though, it’s really senseless to nitpick. Very highly recommended!

— Tom Gibbs
 

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