ANDY SANTANA Veteran West Coast musician Andy Santana is a smooth, dynamic vocalist and harmonica player with a sophisticated urban style. With thirty years of professional experience, he is also an accomplished songwriter/guitarist with an unusual gift for lyrics and is proficient at creating powerful melodies. Andy always surrounds himself with top west coast musicians. As a result, Andy’s band has been chosen as the house/backup band for many Blues legends. The following list of venues and legendary Blues musicians he has backed or toured with speaks for itself. They include, The Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans with CP Love, host band at the Bammies backing rock and roll Hall of Famer "Booker T. Washington," Joe Louis Walker, the Gospel Humming Birds and the amazing Bonnie Raitt. For 5 years running he was chosen as the host band for the "Hollywood Hall of Fame Fest." There he backed legendary Chicago Blues musicians, Willie Dixon, Jimmy Rogers, Luther Tucker, Billy Boy Arnold, Freddie Robinson, Dave Myers, Cary Bell and west coast artists Rusty Zinn, William Clarke and King Ernest. Andy and his band were featured artists at the "Santa Cruz Blues Fest" backing New Orleans legend Earl King. As the host band at Moe’s Alley they backed Joe Huston, Lou Ann Barton, Jimmy Thackery, CoCo Montoya, Tommy Castro, Chris Cain, and Sista Monica. In addition, Andy’s band backed Nappy Brown (Night Time is the Right Time) at the San Francisco Blues Fest. Andy has recorded and toured with cult legend Junior Watson and "Austin’s first lady of the Blues," Angela Strehli. Here is a partial list of venues Andy has had the honor of performing: Venues and Festivals New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival San Jose Jazz Fest Santa Cruz Blues Festival (5 times) Monterey Blues Fest (2 times) San Francisco Blues Festival (4 times) Portland Waterfront Blues Fest Bammies Black Diamond Blues Fest Houston Blues Festival Filmore Auditorium Monterey Jazz Festival (4 times) Shoreline Amphitheatre Moulin Blues Fest, Belgium Sacramento Blues Fest Belgium Blues Nites Fest Monterey Pop Festival Battle of the Harmonicas (2 times) Dallas Blues Fest Andy Santana is a consummate professional, has a great stage presence, and is one of the nicest and humblest musicians on the circuit. He also as a producer, recently completed soul great Jackie Payne’s latest CD for Delta Groove Productions. Andy’s CD, "Take Me With You" is long overdue and showcases some of the best west coast musicians. Each musician has their own distinctive style and philosophy of American Roots music and on "Take Me With You" it all comes together in an unforgettable way. Featured musicians include guitarist Junior Watson (Canned Heat, Koko Taylor, Mighty Flyers, PeeWee Crayton), guitarist Mighty Mike Schermer (Elvin Bishop, Maria Muldar, Howard Tate Angela Strehli), keyboards piano Audi deLone (Nick Lowe, Fabulous Thunderbirds), bass Mike Phillips (Charlie Musselwhite), drummer June Core (Charlie Musselwhite, Robert Jr. Lockwood), drummer Joey Ventittelli (Little Charlie and the Nitecats, Big Voodoo Daddy), horn players Mike Rinta, Mike Peloquin, Tom Pool and bass player Eric Kleven. A special mention of Sacramento bassman, Eric Kleven. Unfortunately, he was killed in a car accident during the summer of 2006. As a result, Eric never had a chance to hear these recordings which is sad since he added so much to them. He was a true talent and his sudden departure is a loss that Sacramento will never truly recover from. He is missed. * * * * Real Blues Magazine review, 2007 ANDY SANTANA: TAKE ME WITH YOU (INDIE) If this CD doesn’t propel Andy Santana to the Top Ranks of Modern blues Practitioners, I’ll be forever convinced that there’s No Hope for North America’s music ‘critics’ (not that they’ve proven to have any semblance of taste in the past…). First-off, the man can SING and I mean REALLY sing and that puts him in a very select group of Caucasians who can. No histrionics, no phony growling, trying to sound like he grew up in a Mississippi swamp. Instead, we get a warm, rich and unique vocal style that is as smooth as butter and a treat to listen to. Then we get a dose of some of the finest harmonica-playing since the days of Excello Records or John Lee Williamson. I love tasty harp and Santana is one of the best blowers to come along in decades. Too many harmonica ‘Stars’ have a ‘windbag syndrome’ and play far too many notes/solos but Santana offers short, packed-with-passion passages that have you asking, "Why don’t more people play like this?" And finally, while he wrote 4 of the 13 tunes (and they’re fine originals), Santana’s pick of covers is right-on-the-money -obscure gems that should’ve been hits – and the arrangements and reworking of these 9 tunes are superb. The production standards actually exceed many of the Big Label Blues albums I’ve heard recently (and by a wide margin). Each tune is expertly crafted and at a peak of perfection. This is one of those albums where the listener is given so much wonderful music that one is inclined to seek out Andy Santana and say "Thank You!" Of course, having Junior Watson, Mike Schermer, and Curtis Smith (guitar), June Core, Joey Ventittelli (drums), Mike Phillips, Eric Kleven (bass), Audie deLone (organ, piano), Tom Poole (trumpet), Mike Peloquin (tenor & baritone sax), Mike Rinta (trombone, tuba), Tammi Brown (background vocals) and Queen Jotifah, Christine Christian and Lisa Phenix (adding deep-down soulful shoutin’ & hollerin’ on "What A Party") is a tremendous talent treat for anyone’s album, and on "Take Me With You" they groove beyond compare. The title track, "Take Me With You" opens the disc and it’s got lots of modern New Orleans flavor to it with funky wah wah and a big riffing horn line. Very snappy and infectious stuff but it might give the wrong impression for what’s to come. (I’m assuming it’s Schermer who burns off the hot guitar solo at the end of "Take Me With You", but whoever it is, it’s killer and just a taste of things to come). "Give A Dog A Bone" is a dance-inducing shuffle that’s just perfect for the East Coast Shag Dance Scene and I dare you to keep still whilst diggin’ this one. Harp fans/players will go gaga over Santana’s reedy harp solo and I must say it sounds as though he’s a foot away from your ears, the sound quality is that clear and sharp. Very nice. "Let Yourself Go" is a real fine Southern Soul bouncer that is also guaranteed to fill Shag dance floors. Excellent horns and backup vocal chorus that’ll have you dancing in your chair. Oh my, this is FINE MUSIC! "Baby Come To Papa" is a Swamp Rocker featuring fat baritone sax played to burpin’ perfection by Peloquin. Your feet will be beatin’ a hole in the floor with this one. Damn, what an album. "So Many Ways" is a tasty love song with a distinct groove from June Core and understated guitar and again, classic 1960s horns. Santana shows his vocal chops on this one. This one reminds me of 1965 Duke Records stuff. "No Naggin’ No Draggin’" is of course the Arthur Gunter classic from Excello. Gunter and his brothers were the Kings of Hillbilly Blues and it don’t get any more ‘Down Home’ than this. Nice harp from Andy. Santana’s gonna bring smiles to a lot of old-timers’ faces with tunes like this. deLone delivers excellent Skippy Brooks-style piano. We then jump on a Junior Watson-fuelled Rocket Ship with "What A Party" and it’s total scorching mayhem as Junior shows why he’s the current King of West Coast Pickin’ on this Jessie Allen vintage rocker. Surprise! Santana tackles Bob Dylan’s "Ballad Of A Thin Man" and with the New Orleans-style arrangements it becomes a brand new song and one of the few times Dylan’s been upstaged on his own material. Classy, tasty and oh-so atmospheric thanks to that nice organ and Poole & Rinta’s Funeral March flourishes. "I Believe I’ll Give It Up" is burning West Coast Classic Blues, "Soul Shadows" is the old Jazz Crusaders number with Santana showing his good taste stretches across many genres and "Hot Spot" is a beautiful tune with excellent vocals and tasteful horns and deLone contributes B-3 organ that’s a treat to hear. Shaggers should love this one’s perfect tempo. Again, everything about the song is superb. "You’re The One" is a swingin’ number with a blast of a trombone solo, followed by a groovy Hammond workout. The CD closes off with a love song written by Santana, "Can’t Stop Thinkin’ Of You" and it’s a fine original with nice arrangements. I need to mention that bassist Eric Kleven died last summer in a car accident and the album is dedicated to his memory. I guess I have no choice but to award this CD 5 Bottles of Thunderbird. It’s just too damn Hot and mayhem-inducing to give it any less. It’s also one of the finest West Coast Blues albums you’ll ever hear, thanks to the magnificent talents involved. Do yourself a big favor and grab this one right away. ~Andy Grigg Real Blues Magazine * * * * UK Blues 7 Rhythm review, 2007 ANDY SANTANA: Take Me With You Andy Santana is a California based vocalist, songwriter and harmonica player. Artists he has worked with include Jimmy Rogers, Luther Tucker, Willie Dixon, Freddy Robinson, Earl King, The Gospel Hummingbirds, and Joe Louis Walker. He has also produced, most recently for Delta Groove’s recent Jackie Payne release. As well as being a feature for Santana, ‘Take Me With You’ showcases some of the foremost west coast musicians currently active. Featured musicians include guitarists Junior Watson, Curtis Smith and Mike Schermer; keyboard player Audie DeLone; bassists Mike Phillips and Eric Kleven; drummers June Core and Joey Ventittelli, topped off by the triple threat horn section of Mike Rinta, Mike Peloquin, and Tom Poole. Material on board is heavy on covers including a horn driven, funked up take on King Karl’s ‘Baby Come To Papa’ and a laid back run through Arthur Gunter’s ‘No Naggin’, No Draggin’,’ featuring a couple of choruses of blues harp. Bob Dylan’s ‘Ballad Of A Thin Man’ (which I expected to sit uncomfortably with the rest of the songs) is given a New Orleans funeral type arrangement which works superbly and really surprised this reviewer. With soulfully riffing horns and Junior Watson’s sassy licks, Lowell Fulson’s ‘I Believe I’ll Give It Up’ is a classy exercise in West Coast jump blues, but the Jennings/Sample composition ‘Soul Shadows’ is a tad too slick for me. Of the original compositions, the opener ‘Take Me With You’ takes the listener into funk territory, while next up, ‘Give A Dog A Bone’, gives Santana the opportunity to flex his harp chops on a straight ahead jump blues, with a slash and burn chorus from Watson. Co-written with Mike Schermer, ‘So Many Ways’ is a soulful blues ballad, as is the closing cut, ‘Can’t Stop Thinking Of You’. Andy Santana is a fine songwriter with a real feel for ballad type material. Andy Santana is not too well known on these shores, however with UK distribution (which I am told is in the pipeline) this top notch CD should do well here and in Europe. My only minor criticism – next time out Andy, let’s hear more harp! ~Phil Wight UK Blues 7 Rhythm