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The pandemic and the cumulative stress of four years living under Trump took their toll on a lot of us. We're recovering -- thank God -- and after a brief hiatus, we're re-starting with a conversation with one of the great drummers of our time, MICHAEL SHRIEVE
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Michael is best known best for his world-shaking drum solo with Santana in front of half a million people just weeks after his 20th birthday. He talks about how he ended up there in the first part of his interview . It's quite a tale.
Michael shares how that single moment defined him in millions of minds, and overshadowed his evolution as a musician for the next 50 years.
But as host Julian Simmons discovers — Michael is a prolific creator of some stunning new music, and we’ll give you a sneak peek at his new unreleased album, “Drums of Compassion.”
Photo © Jason Laure Michael Shrieve, just turned twenty, delivering his mind-blowing solo in "Soul Sacrifice" with Santana at Woodstock 1969.
Photo © Todd Hobert Michael performing with the newly reunited, Original Santana band at the House Of Blues in Las Vegas in March of 2016.
"Drums of Compassion" reflects Michael's growth and evolution over the past 50 years, shifting from the kind of explosive drumbeat of his Santana debut to something much more introspective. The album combines African and Native American influences, and brings together a remarkable group of world-renowned musicians, including Babatunde Olatunji, credited with bringing in African music to the U.S.
"Drums of Compassion" is perhaps the most important and personal project of Michael's post-Santana career, an album he has worked on for over 20 years. It's also perhaps the perfect piece for our time, and Our Generation. As he tells Julian, "That record came about by me coming home at two in the morning after listening to groups, in clubs and asking myself the question, as a drummer, what kind of music would you like to make that you would listen to at this hour of the morning?"
Michael has a really fascinating story to tell, about how he joined Santana at 18, played a world-shaking drum solo in front of half a million people at 20, and has managed to keep on creating for 50 years since. In many ways, Michael’s life follows the archetypal track of many of us, from wild youth to our current, more mellow stage of life. His lively conversation with Julian brings it all back. But he also delivers a potent dose of inspiration for many of us who may be forced by age to give up things we love doing. Michael hasn’t stopped creating in spite of the inevitable aches and pains that prevent him from pummeling the drums like he did at Woodstock. Far from giving up, he’s moving on. His new music is a stunning reminder that some things DO get better with age.
Stay tuned!
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