Carlos has branched out again — this time into the culinary arena. Recently, he launched a “themed” restaurant, called Maria Maria — named after the song from his Supernatural album, of course. However, if you’re expecting rock star memorabilia, ala Hard Rock Café, you’llREAD MORE
Carlos Santana‘s sound is affected by the gear he uses, including his Mesa Boogie Amp (and others), Mu-Tron Wah Wah Pedal, and of course his recognizable Paul Reed Smith Santana Guitars. His history with Paul Reed Smith, especially, is fascinating: a symbiotic relationship thatREAD MORE
Incredible Melodic Journey There are a lot of excellent electric guitar players out there. When you narrow the field to guitar players who play parts that you remember long after the song is over, it shrinks noticeably. But at theREAD MORE
When I first started playing with a Santana Tribute band, I liked Santana‘s music, but didn’t have a true appreciation for it. No song has changed that opinion more than “Jingo“: a one-chord “chant” piece from the band’s debut album, Santana by Santana.READ MORE
To get the full use out of pentatonic scales, you should be comfortable with them in all 5 positions. So, using Am as an example again, here are the positions: 1st PositionStarts on A on the 5th fret of theREAD MORE
These scales (called “pentatonic,” meaning 5 note) are the most popular scales for guitar players — bar none. Why? Several reasons: 1) They sound good. The “skipped” notes add an open, interesting sound that makes them pleasing to the ear.READ MORE
Distortion Makes A Difference We used to have a saying when I was a teenager first learning to play guitar: “so distorted it’s ‘clean.’ ” What we meant was that with the right kind of amplifier distortion, you would achieveREAD MORE
Five years ago, I started a Santana tribute band, with the idea that once I had a Latin rock band (complete with percussion), I would have a ready-made unit to play the original songs that I was writing in that vein.READ MORE
As I mentioned, I play Santana’s guitar parts note-for-note in my Santana Tribute Band. I’ve been told — by people that have seen numerous other Santana tribute bands — that I sound more like Carlos than any one else they’veREAD MORE
Fiesta with a Mission by Madison Hirneisen August 1, 2021 Community event raises funds for COVID-19 relief, promotes vaccines A group of local bands performed at Chase Palm Park Saturday in a benefit concert called “Fiesta with a Mission,” whichREAD MORE