What Artist Links Michael Jackson, Chester Bennington, Seal, and Jennifer Lopez?

Carlos Santana got introduced to the world when his band played a legendary set in 1969 at Woodstock before they had even released their first album!   "Evil Ways" and "Soul Sacrifice" brought Santana international success.   Yet, it wasn't until 1999 when Carlos Santana achieved his greatest commercial success with the multi-Grammy winning CD, Supernatural.    Rolling Stone recently named him #15 on their all-time greatest guitar slingers.

Since 1999, he has played with everyone from Lauryn Hill, Kirk Hammett of Metallica, Wyclef Jean, Mary J Blige, Nickelback, Michelle Branch, Eric Clapton, and on and on.    Here are four special  guest appearances from the past 13 years.

"WHATEVER HAPPENS"   MICHAEL JACKSON 

"RIDERS ON THE STORM"  SANTANA with CHESTER BENNINGTON (Linkin Park), RAY MANZAREK (The Doors)

"YOU ARE MY KIND"      SEAL

"THIS BOY'S FIRE"   JENNIFER LOPEZ

While My Guitar Gently Weeps: India.Arie,Carlos Santana, Shalamar, Laura Branigan, Rock Kills Kid

 "WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS" INDIA.ARIE, SANTANA, YO YO MA

Reinventing a Beatles song is tricky ground.    Adding in Yo Yo Ma's violin, the neo-soul silky voice of India.Arie, and Latin guitar hero, Carlos Santana, the classic "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" gets a 2011 makeover extreme.    The Eric Clapton / George Harrison song has never sounded so JOYFUL, hopeful, and the jazzy interpretation takes your mind drifting to a mellow happy place.    As usual, Carlos demonstrates his amazing talent to combine restraint with dynamic fury.     Brilliant!

"THE SECOND TIME AROUND"          SHALAMAR

Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniels were two of the highlight dancers on Soul Train in the 70's and 80's.    Jeffrey was known for his popping and locking moves that influenced Michael Jackson!   Jody Watley went to #1 with solo hits like "Looking For a New Love".    But when the two of them were combined with the amazing vocal talents of Howard Hewitt, they became Shalamar and live on in music history as one of the underrated R&B bands of all-time.   "Second Time Around" has a retro 80's synthesizer beat, slick dancing moves, and a feel-good vibe.

"TI AMO"                     LAURA BRANIGAN

Must be an 80's mood today!     "Gloria", "Solitaire", "Self Control", early MTV videos that took Laura Branigan to the top of the charts.     Her incredible voice could hit four octaves and her dramatic tone was never more evident that on the yearning love song "Ti Amo" from her second CD.   Incidentally, both "Gloria" and "Ti Amo" were originally huge hits in Italy by Umberto Tozzi but to us in the US, they are Laura Branigan songs now.   Sadly she died at the age of 47 in 2004 of a brain aneurysm.  

"HIDEAWAY"  ROCK KILLS KID

Each week, I-Tunes offers up a few free tracks of new music.   Usually they're new artists looking for exposure and after one or two listens, they're deleted.   One exception was this emo-rock jam from 2006.   Rock Kills Kid sound like the Killers mixed with Echo and the Bunnymen.    Haven't heard any new music from them, but this song is a favorite.