Courtesy of Santana Com

By Thomas Semioli

 

Playing bass since his early teen years, Dave Margen gravitated towards the sounds of James Brown and funk and never looked back. Dave studied with John Knight in his native Bay Area, whom he cites as a major influence. His teacher often snuck the under-age Margen into the various Broadway Street clubs in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood to hear such local luminaries as Tower of Power.  Soon Dave would become part of the scene, jamming with bands and establishing himself as an in-demand player.

 

Dave commenced his career with Santana in 1977 on the live/studio twofer Moonflower and played brilliantly on somewhat lesser known Carlos slabs including: Inner Secrets, Swing of Delight, Oneness Silver Dreams Golden Reality, Marathon, and Havana Moon – as well as the guitarist’s massive comeback hits Zebop, and Shango in the early ‘80s.

 

As I was witness, Dave’s remarkable bass solo composition “Runnin’ was a highlight of Santana gigs of that era, fusing Latin, jazz, funk, and blues rhythms and themes.

 

Dave also waxed seminal sides with The Dramatics, Gregg Rolie, Joe Walsh (The Confessor), and Coale Johnson, among others. Dave’s weapons of choice include Fender Precision, Fender Jazz, and Yamaha basses.

 

Dave Margen Sound & Vision – with Santana

 

“Runnin” https://youtu.be/KybZb0kmEow

 

“Jharna Kala” https://youtu.be/tbUPbyvz-cI

 

“The Nile” https://youtu.be/MBemfKbjZYw

 

“Winning” https://youtu.be/0FmPg4lrBKc

 

Santana Live at the Oakland Coliseum 1977 https://youtu.be/7v5t8tNqf3o

 

 

 

Ever since I was a child I’ve always been very attracted to melodies. Whether I hear Jeff Beck, a choir, an ocean or the wind, there’s always a melody in there… Carlos Santana

 

Anybody can play. The note is only 20 percent. The attitude of the mother****r who plays it is 80 percent… Miles Davis

 

Which brings us to Benny Rietveld, chosen by both Carlos and Miles to helm the bass chair on some of their most potent sides, and on stage.

 

Inspired by Chris Squire and Sir Paul, Santana musical director Benny Rietveld has been the longest tenured bassist in Carlos’ numerous collectives commencing with the album Spirits Dancing in the Flesh in 1990.

 

Following his studies at the Hawaii College of Music, and work with artists spanning The Crusaders, Richie Cole, Makoto Ozone, and Sheila E., Benny, among others, Benny anchored Miles Davis on his last major tour in ‘88 and remained with the jazz icon until 1990, waxing tracks that have been featured on various archival live and studio releases.

 

A composer, recording artist, film director, educator (Ben Rietveld Bass Essentials – Hot Licks) and producer, Rietveld waxed his lone solo slab Mystery of Faith in 2001 which features cameos from Carlos and Tom Coster.  Among Benny seminal sides include Miles Davis Around the World (1996); Santana Spirits Dancing in the Flesh (1990), Milagro (1992),  Supernatural (2000), Santana IV (2016); Santana / Isley Brothers  Power of Peace (2017),  and Cindy Blackman Another Lifetime (2010), to cite a select few.

 

Benny’s weapons of choice include MusicMan Sterling (four and five string), Lakeland 4-94, MTD 5 String, and an NS electric upright.

 

 

 

 

Benny Reitveld Sound & Vision:

 

Sheila E. “The Glamourous Life” https://youtu.be/KOoWMtxR8GQ

 

Miles: “Me & U” https://youtu.be/nHXm-_-LT0I

 

Live In Europe The Prince of Darkness https://youtu.be/VMTO0jPp2Z0

 

Benny and Carlos:

 

“Smooth” https://youtu.be/6Whgn_iE5uc

 

“Black Magic Woman” https://youtu.be/-2O81STmDGg

 

“Samba Pa Ti” https://youtu.be/3LIPKtZyX6M

 

Santana and The Isley Brothers:

 

“Are You Ready” https://youtu.be/lHK9vzhxxLE

 

“Higher Ground” https://youtu.be/_OmUIOAZqF8

 

 

 

If Know Your Bass Player employed a statistician, we’d discover that likely a billion people (and counting) have grooved in the past 50 years (and counting) to the Latin jazz fueled passages rendered by the late David Brown, founding member of Santana (1966-71, 1976).

 

As Carlos was a fervent practitioner of the multi-layered rhythmic modus operandi of electric Miles – and James Brown which utilized the art of repetition to the max, Brown intensely followed suite, digging deep in-the-pocket with hypnotic lines that grew more intense upon their reiteration with gradual harmonic embellishments.

 

David’s earthy tone was “pure” Fender Precision (though he occasionally used a Fender Jazz) – which he articulated by anchoring his thumb on the pick-up plate and either finger-picking by the bridge, or at the base of the neck– thereby eliciting the instrument’s signature “grrrrrowl” when he plied one of his rare and riveting fills.

 

Brown was a “feel’ player who was replaced on a few occasions in the Santana collective by more “accomplished” players, David passed in 2000, however not before he stood with his former bandmates at his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Carlos speaks very well of David in his must-read autobiography The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light (2015 Back Bay Books).

 

David Brown Sound & Vision…

 

“Soul Sacrifice” from Woodstock  https://youtu.be/AqZceAQSJvc

 

“Evil Ways” https://youtu.be/HPmPFY9PcCs

 

“Incident at Neshabur” https://youtu.be/338TDhTN7HQ

 

“Everybody’s Everything” https://youtu.be/Qj9-jqOAikY

 

“Everything Is Coming Our Way” https://youtu.be/7iRDRgr40NE

 

“Dance Sister Dance”  https://youtu.be/lUwCUITkGwo

 

“Gitano” https://youtu.be/haiVzvjKKCU