THE SPARK OF SAVOR
Savor was formed to honor the more than 50-year career of latin-rock legend Carlos Santana — from the raw power of the self-titled album issued in 1969 to the recent spate of hits with current stars.that makes Santana’s music so well-loved.
The diverse background of Savor’s rhythm section meshes perfectly when they play as a unit, which is why the complex interweaving of classic latin rhythms are so adroitly handled by this trio. Drummer Billy Haarbauer‘s subtle, relentless groove meshes perfectly with the percussion team of Lorenzo Martinez (Congas, Bongos) and Chico Hernandez (Congas, Timbales).
Complementing the rhythm section is bassist Rick Thibodeau, whose soulful flavor rounds out the famous Santana groove, while vocalist Steven Elowe‘s impressive range and power add fuel to the fire. Keyboardist David Jefferson captures the sound of each of the decades, from the bluesy organ style of Gregg Rolie to the later, jazzier flavor of Tom Coster and Chester Thompson.
Guitarist Michael Caroff delivers every trademark Santana lick, as well as the gritty tone and singing sustain that make the songs so memorable.
Together, Savor pays fitting tribute to the popular, timeless sound that makes Santana’s music so well-loved.
How are you living your best life right now?
For the non-music portion of my life, I am committed to spending more time with my family. Luckily, for me, this is easy, as I happen to be a member of one of the all-time great families. Next week, both of my sisters are coming to visit, and I can’t wait! Talk to us about your new music!
After such a long time being isolated, I am re-committing myself to music in a way that’s worked for me before. I’m starting by getting together with a bass player and drummer with whom I am writing and arranging purely instrumental music. This sparks my creative bump in a couple of ways: one is that because I’m working with new people and new music, it forces me to stretch as a guitar player, which is essential. Secondly, it forces me to write a completely different kind of music than what I play in my “main“ band: Savor. The benefit is that when I redirect my efforts to writing for Savor, I have a much fresher take on things, and the results are more gratifying. When do you know when a song is done, DONE?
That’s a good question! I’m not sure how other writers approach this, but I am never certain when a song is done. However I do know how to judge when it’s worthwhile: and that is, when I play it in front of audiences who have never heard it, and I get a reaction. But even after that, there’s always room for improvement. Where did the title come from?
For the vocal songs on the Savor album, coming up with a title was pretty simple. And I generally try for one word titles when possible, like Angelina, or Moviendote. When it comes to the instrumental songs, the sky's the limit – you can name them anything you want! How did you become inspired to make this song?
What inspired me to make the songs on the album is my longtime love of Latin music. I have been listening to Latin jazz, traditional Latin (salsa, cha-cha, etc.), and Latin rock progressive music (ala Al DiMeola) for many, many years. So when I finally sat down to try to form a band and write an album around this style, there was a lot of history. However, as often happens in life, the end result was not exactly what I had anticipated. I think what really had the most effect was playing for so many audiences as I was coming up with the songs for the album. It reminded me how important simplicity and hooks are to most listeners, and made me focus even harder on these essential elements. How did you approach this song vs. songs past?
The difference in the way I approach the songs for this album than I have in my past, was again, the focus on life reactions. I’ve never had a situation where I was able to introduce original songs in front of so many audiences to get their reaction. This ended up being crucial to the development. Where do new fans go to follow you?
The best two ways to see what we are up to are our Facebook page and YouTube channel. Where can fans stream and support you?
As far as streaming, we are in all the major venues: iTunes, Amazon music, Spotify, Pandora, etc. What are you most excited about the new single?
The new single is one that I haven’t finished writing yet! And one of the things I am most excited about is that the band that I have assembled after doing this for 20 years is the best it’s ever been. The musicians, the singers, everybody is top-notch. And I can’t wait to work with them to bring the latest song I’m working on to life. Can you leave us with some inspiration for our audience and how they can live their best lives?!
Living your best life“ has a different meaning to everyone, I think. But for me, it involves two elements: being productive in some way, shape, or form, and spending time with the people I’m closest to. Everything else pretty much takes care of itself.