New Review: Abraxas Still Casts A Spell
"The story of Carlos Santana and the band that bears his name has been one of near-constant evolution. Critics and fans have attempted to tame Santana’s catalog over the years by sorting the group’s 25 studio albums by era, style, or lineup. That’s not a totally fruitless exercise. Nobody, for instance, will mistake the frenetic jam session that is Santana’s seminal 1969 debut for, say, the earthy jazz-fusion tones of ’79’s Moonflower or the radio-ready blues rock found in the chart-topping fare of turn-of-the-century comeback Supernatural. And yet, all of these are chapters of the same ongoing story. However, when we step so far back to look at this larger shift across decades, we can find ourselves neglecting the nuance, inventiveness, and left turns taken between albums, songs, and even within single movements on tracks. It’s these elements — deliberate, improvised, or otherwise conjured — and the spell they cast that make Abraxas an adventurous and unpredictable listen even half a century on."
Michael Carabello & the Primitive Medicine Sessions
Carlos Santana Review
Joel Selvin Review
"Wow! Totally awesome. Spectacular. Love, love, love it! This wonderful selection of songs come from the vision of the creator of "Singing Winds & Crying Beast", Michael Carabello. Four different dimensions of symmetry, in sound, emotion, passion, and feelings that offers creativity, grace, elegance and mystery." Carlos Santana
"Is percussionist Michael Carabello the true inheritor of the deep mojo of his original band Santana? His new solo album, "The Primitive Medicine Sessions Vol.1", brings the essence of that band's unforgettable first three landmark albums into the 21st century. Sweeping together ambient, flamenco, worldbeat and other wildly disparate elements, Carabello fashions a spellbinding concoction that draws from the same well as the band he helped found 50 years ago." Joel Selvin, music critic for the San Francisco Chronicle
Santana IV
Felix Contreras, NPR Review
"(Santana has) reassembled for new music written in the spirit of their first blasts of percussion and fuzz tone. Santana IV captures that magic, while still updating it slightly. Drummer Michael Shrieve and conguero Michael Carabello lay a familiar rhythmic foundation that allows guitarists Carlos Santana and Neal Schon to inspire one another in solos that are as melodic as they are rhythmic. Gregg Rolie's vocals and keyboard work provide a visceral reminder of those first three albums. (Current Santana members Karl Perazzo on timbales and Benny Rietveld on bass replace original members who either couldn't participate or have passed away.)
In fact, if it sounds more familiar today than it did 40 years ago, that's to be expected — especially from the performers who invented this sound. To this day, no one does it better." Felix Contreras, NPR
