CARLOS SANTANA-MASON RUFFNER THE BLUES AND THE ABSTRACT TRUTH BY ANTONIO PINEDA
Il y ya un temp, once upon a time, back in the halcyon days of the Haight Ashbury in San Francisco, my childhood mates and I organized the Straight Theatre, an old cinema recrafted into a psychedelic ballroom. The Dead, James Cotton, John Fahey, Janis Joplin and Big Brother, the Wildflower, the Magick Powerhouse of Oz, and Carlos Santana all were part of the lysergic tapestry of rock royalty who gigged there. The statute of limitations on lysergic exploration has long expired, so now the true story can be told. The aphorism states that if you remember the 60s you were not there. I was there baby, there are ten million stories in the naked city, this is one of them.
The original Santana line up consisted of Mike Carabello, David Brown, Carlos, and a dude who could often be found playing timbales and busking at Aquatic Park, when he was not gigging with the Aliens, Chepito Areas. Santana developed his signature guitar style playing the Straight, Fillmore and Avalon ballrooms. He eventually acquired the Sol Hurok of rock, Bill Graham as a manager. O ver the years, the band evolved into a linup that included Greg Rolle,congeros Rico Reyes and the immortal Armando Perazza.
Santana rolled in to Amsterdam when it was the Euro-capital of psychedelia in the 70s. I made my way to the Pulitzer Hotel to liaise with them. Carlos was as always gracious and charming. He invited me to ride on the bus to the concert. Perazza was a master of Afro Cuban -jazz-santeria and the Cuban tradition as now in fashion and inspired by the Buena Vista Social Club et allii.I introduced Armando about town to local jazz musos. He also met Rita, a South African expat , who became his lover. Armando was lionized in Amsterdam as continuing the traditions of Chano Pozo, Tito Puente, Perez Prado and other innovators of this art form.
The Pulitzer Hotel also had the New York Dolls staying there. I had the opportunity to schmooze with Sylvaine Sylvaine and David Johanssen. I had met David in NYC years before at the loft of his dear friend Barbara Tryoyanni. Those were wild and crazy days for the NY Dolls. They created a look and attitude later to inspire punk and new wave. The Dolls flamboyant personas, kick-ass shows and bizarre costumes resonate today as they did yesterday.
Earth, Wind and Fire were also on song at the Pulitzer. It was a veritable maelstrom of music greats. They were also on the same bill as Santana. Maurice ran a tight ship. Band members were forbidden drugs and expected to be on time and on the money. Verdeen, the bass player invited me to his room. He was a pleasant and smart bloke. EWF were at the top of their game, and Verdeen was much in demand in Amsterdam , the women loved him.
I rolled to the concert sitting next to one of my heroes, rock promoter Bill Graham. Bill passed away in a tragic helicopter accident in the 90s. I t was a tragic loss, cos Bill would be fighting for the civil rights platform today as he did then. Born Wolfgang Grajonca, the young Graham walked across the Alps to safety during the Nazi occupation of Europe, and emerged in NYC in the heyday of the NYC art scene.
I met Mason Ruffner through my mate Joe Cummings in Bangkok. Mason is sleek and possesses a genteel air. He is a southern gentleman, with a courtly demeanour. Mason is a family man, and is married in Sweden with a daughter he dotes on. Guitarslinger, singer and songwriter, he has recorded several albums with Bob Dylan. He was playing with Joe Cummings and his band in Bangkok. Joe traded stories of him being asked by Carlos for the use of his guitar at the Blues for Salvador concert, and hanging out with Bonnie Raitt and Jerry Garcia with Carlos.W e share a table at an Indian restaurant in the Sukumvit area,and trade trash talk about Santana and Dylan back in the day. Santana sold 25 million copies of Supernatural world wide. A 2 disc 10th anniversary edition of the award winning album is being released to coincide with the spring tour. A song by Mason Ruffner entitled, Angel Love, is the single featured on the compilation. Tony Lindsay is the front man and featured vocalist.
Santana and Ruffner embody the American aesthetic of music derived from blues, Latin jazz and rock poetry. The revolt of the machines has in a way castrated this genre. One sage inventor of techno described it as the genocide of rock and roll. No longer will you have to sell your soul to the devil as is claimed re Robert Johnson, who inspired the Stones and Eric Clapton. Young musos today do not pay their dues at the feet of the creators of this pure American art form anymore. They plagiarize, mount beats and raps on computors, but have little time as in days of old when it was de riguere to learn at the feet of the masters like BB King, Lightning Hopkins and Howling Wolf. Musos today do not cut their teeth in honky tonks and blues bars, intead it is all done on a computor.
In my view artificial intelligence has neutered the red blood that once ran through the rich veins of the American traditions of blues, folk and jazz. Artificial intelligence has revolutionized the New Millenium, but Jean Paul Sartre would not need a computor, nor would Mozart. It is the divinity of man that creates genius, machines can not drink, smoke or make love. Sensory impressions and brain waves create great art, the human experience demands sweat , blood and tears. Carlos, save me a seat on the magick bus, so I can catch you , Mason and Dylan as you continue to make history, enshrining the Great American musical songbook in its proper place in the pantheon of the arts.
the good news for your blog:
Singer/songwriter.guitarslinger Mason Ruffner, who has recorded several albums with Bob Dylan, and is a regular visitor to Thailand (where he plays gigs with Joe Cummings), has a song on Santana’s newest album. The song, “Angel Love,” will be released as the latest Santana single.
http://www.spinner.com/2010/01/15/santana-angel-love-come-for-me-song-premiere/
attached:
Mason Ruffner on tour with Bob Dylan
Mason and Santana
Mason and Jimmy Page.
