Travel back to the Fillmore East on April 3rd, 1971 and hear Santana and Rahsaan Roland Kirk and His Vibration Society perform on a bill exemplifying the musical diversity that Bill Graham often embraced at the Fillmores.
The opening Rahsaan Roland Kirk set is an excellent introduction to the musician, showcasing his circular breathing technique, his ability to play different instruments simultaneously, and the music he created that provocatively combined beauty and rage. The Santana recording presented here captures the classic "Abraxas"-era line-up augmented by Neal Schon on second guitar, injecting the band with even more energy. It was a remarkable time in the group's history, when the original lineup was at its creative apex and the band was at its commercial peak.
Hear how it all went down on this playlist featuring two recordings from that evening: take a ride through avant-garde territory with Rahsaan Roland Kirk, then enjoy the cathartic peaks of the percussively propulsive Santana set.
To read more about the individual sets, click on the links in the Related Concerts box below. Here are personnel listings for each group:
Rahsaan Roland Kirk - woodwinds, flute, vocals
Sonelius Smith - piano, vocals
Dick Griffin - trombone, vocals
Charles McGhee - trumpet, vocals
Henry Pearson - bass, vocals
Jerry Griffin - drums, vocals
Joe Habad Texidor - percussion, vocals
Carlos Santana - guitar, vocals
Neal Schon - guitar, vocals
Gregg Rolie - keyboards, piano, lead vocals
David Brown - bass, vocals
Michael Shrieve - drums
José Chepitó Areas - percussion, conga, timbales
Mike Carabello - percussion, conga, tambourine, vocals
Coke Escovedo - percussion