Customer Reviews

Live At The 1988 Montreux Jazz Festival

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wayne Shorter and Carlos Santana in a new release of an old concert; performed in 1988.
I am a huge fan of Santana's early albums when he was very hip to Jazz Fusion and releasing some amazing albums between year 1972 and 1973; and since I am into fusion, no need to say Wayne Shorter's music has always been in my CD collection as well.
This new release is as I expected it to be; main in Jazz Fusion, salsa with a light addition of some rock tunes; also a great reminder of an old 1972 release for Santana called: "Carlos Santana and Buddy Miles! Live."
All 18 tracks are very well performed; CS's Guitar is all over the place, WS is doing a great job same as the entire band. The recording is nicely done giving a good result on a High Fidelity Audio system.
A Live double CD, full of great tunes, well, well worth buying.
If you are into Jazz Fusion and Carlos Santana, check these old releases; Great Stuff
1. Santana and John McLaughlin: Love, Devotion and Surrender. 1972
2. Santana and Buddy Miles: Live. 1972
3. Santana: Caravanserai. 1972
4. Santana: Welcome. 1973
5. Santana: Illuminations. 1974
6. Santana: Oneness. 1979

I don't.

I've been longing to hear Carlos Santana in an all instrumental setting, sans the cloying vocals, for years. And he delivers, along with his altogether remarkable band, big time.

This is probably the worst I've ever heard Wayne Shorter. He just doesn't seem to be on board with the vibe. Consequently, his playing comes across as tentative, groping, unfocused. Plus, he's very poorly recorded--too far back in the mix and improperly mic'd. It doesn't even matter that Santana is half the musician Shorter is. This is his gig, and he nails it. Patrice Rushen (keyboards) ain't half bad either. Same for Alphonso Johnson (bass) and Leon Ndugu Chancler (drums). These dudes can play.

If you were hoping for a stellar Shorter performance (as I was) you're going to be disappointed (e.g., his lame theme from Star Wars quote on "Shh," strangely reprised and nearly beat to death on "Elegant People," coupled with his generally phlegmatic/pedestrian playing throughout). My advice? Get over it, and just sit back and enjoy some very smart live jazz/fusion instrumental music that always beguiles and sometimes mesmerizes.

****1/2.

This is he Santana, both Man and Band, that have been missing the past few years. These offerings are compositions not songs. What is the difference? It is found in the complexity of the music and in the effect it takes to improvise/play them.
All the best elements of Santana's playing such as the blues, jazz, and latin mix is present with the added bonus of the great Wayne Shorter.
The only regret is you have to go back to 1988 to find this great music, as currently Santana is "on hiatus."

I already have several Santana CD's and I love his particular sound.
I do appreciate jazz and fusion music a lot and also rock music.
This combination with Wayne Shorter is in my opinion a masterpiece and a must-have for Santana fans who also enjoy Jazz muzic. GREAT LIVE PERFORMANCE in good quality recording!

This Santana/Shorter DVD is a document that will become an icon in the history of Jazz, Latin Jazz and American Music; it is a monumental tribute to the commingling of two great American music traditions by two of their greatest artists. It is a vision in sound and video of the artistic heights possible to achieve when the best of diverse cultures mix, in a spirit of mutual respect and admiration.
It will take years for the full artistic impact of this recording to be evaluated because that's the nature of important art. It's not fast food. Here are fourteen tracks of some of the most challenging music ever put together in one package; if you already love this music, one track will wipe you out.
The insults other reviewers have heaped on the musicians here are unwarranted, ill-informed and ugly. Each artist performs at their best in this effort, and where they don't, it's not for lack of trying. jose carrillo, "flutetalker" seattle, ca, u.s.a.

There are two kinds of people: those who love fusion and those who hate it. OK, this is silly rhetoric, but if you belong to the former group, you will enjoy this CD thoroughly. It helps if you also like Santana. Now, Santana has been associated with fusion in the early to late 70's and some of his best work falls into this period. He had already played with Wayne, Alphonso and Ndugu on previous albums, and is quite at ease sharing the stage with these giants of the genre, in spite of his technical deficiencies. He is characteristically un-selfconscious and unconcerned about this (listen to the interviews on the DVD), and feels that his contribution is worthwhile. I feel that way also - the all-instrumental format brings out his most expressive, lyrical and soulful playing. I do not miss the vocals, and believe that this concert is the zenith of his musical journey (let's recall his unfortunate descent into tacky pop in the new millenium). His ability to extract melodies from even the most dry passages are legendary, and are ever evident on this set.

Patrice Rushen, who started her carrer as a fusion/jazz painist, is the soloist who really steals the show with her fiery improvizations - she is an amazingly versatile ansd passionate player - a master of the piano and the synthesizers. Speaking of mastery, Chester Thompson pours out some of the hottest solos of his career. He has deeply absorbed McCoy Tyner's style and it comes out particularly strong in his piano playing. No need to add anything about Wayne Shorter, other than that he is a universally acknowledged genuis and his compositions form the backbone of this great show.

To summarize, in my opinion this is the best fusion supergroup the other side of the Return to Forever reunion, and a must own for any serious fusion fan.

For those of you who missed this short tour, this is a great performance of a an allstart dream band. Carlos and Wayne fill the Montreux skies with soaring sounds with great chemistry and energy. Patrice Rushen is no slouch as a great instrumentalist in her own right. Unfortunately, Alphonso's bass solo did not make the cut on this dvd\cd. Percussion is the backbone of all Carlos' bands and they mesh like a glove. Of all of their concert tours since the mid 70's, this is my favorite due to the once in a lifetime get together and a very creative period for this band. Thank You Carlos and Wayne for releasing this. Thanks

What can I say about this album? Really, not much more than what has already been said about the guitar master himself, Carlos Santana. Carlos Santana is superb on everything he does and this CD is no exception. You can hear the pride he takes in his music and himself while listening to this CD. Carlos Santana is the best guitar player, whether it's rock, ballads, jazz, latino, or whatever it is, to come out of the late 60s and still going strong today. This is definately a must album for anyone. If you like rock, latino, and jazz music all in one, this is a perfect album to have.

It would seem to be a match made in heaven but it was not to be. These are 2 of my favorite musicians but it really doesn't work.It appears to be Santanas band and Shorter doesn't fit. In his solos he tries too hard to be exciting and the recording engineer does not have him out front, he is overpowered by the electronics and percussion. A JAZZ TIMES review said it shouldn't have come out of the vault but that is abit harsh.If you like Santana you will like this. If you want great Shorter, forget it. And it is not really his fault.

Whether you are a Carlos Santana fan or a Wayne Shorter fan, you will probably be both delighted and disappointed by this recent release of music recorded nearly two decades ago. Delighted, because you will get to hear Santana and Shorter playing in a setting they both seem to enjoy, but disappointed in that you hoped to hear Santana play more in jazz style and you hoped to hear Shorter play more, period. (And if you happen to be an audiophile, you will find the engineering nothing to get excited about).

Still, this is a fun recording. Supported by Chester Thompson and Patrice Rushen on keyboards, Alphonso Johnson on bass, Armando Peraza on congas, José Chepito Area on timbales, and Leon "Ndugu" Chancler on drums, Santana and Shorter provide plenty of musical comfort food, covering songs from both their songbooks and letting the other band members have their time to take the spotlight. Those who attended the concert back in 1988 probably felt they had received their money's worth, while those who purchase this 2-CD set today will no doubt feel largely the same way. (By the way, there is also a video of this concert available in DVD format, which many might find more interesting. I have not seen it so cannot comment on it.)