All That I Am – Santana

All That I Am – Santana

This is a top shelf collaboration album.

Carlos Santana is a genius and has grown with times to be an open minded musician , creating and fusing music with the new and the older generations.

Michelle Branch is back, this time with the first single from the album, “I’m Feeling You.” The songs on her own albums should sound this good.

Something about performing with one of the all time greatest rock guitarists just brings out the best in some people. Mary J. Blige (with Outkast’s Big Boi) shows more range on “My Man” than we knew she had.

Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler has never sounded any better than he does on “Just Feel Better.”

A couple of the tracks seem glaringly out of place. Joss Stone and Sean Paul sound forced on “Cry Baby Cry,” and it seems plausible that the only reason Santana’s Arista label-mate, the not-quite-American Idol, Bo Bice appears (“Brown Skin Girl”) is to promote his own album that comes out in December.

Those who long for the days of “Black Magic Woman” and “Oye Como Va,” or who don’t particularly care for today’s brand of pop music, will not be particularly happy with this album. Those who appreciate how a masterful musician has successfully reinvented himself and continues to thrive after 35+ years will enjoy adding it to their collections.