Santana – Blues for Salvador – Mofi 180g 33RPM Vinyl LP

Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, and strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g LP of Blues for Salvadorpresents the diverse album in audiophile sound for the first time on a domestic vinyl reissue. Part of the reissue label’s Santana series, this collectible version features quiet surfaces and black backgrounds that help expose the small details, wide-range dynamics, and trademark tones crucial to Santana’s sonic escapades.

As for Carlos Santana’s globally recognizable guitar voicing, knife-edged solos, and comet-tail-streak leads? Hear them with newfound definition and clarity — all the better to appreciate the control, energy, and soulfulness on display. Not to mention the playing of the other ace musicians on the 80s fusion-minded set. Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet alum Tony Williams (drums), former Weather Report member Alphonso Johnson (bass), Band of Gypsys mainstay Buddy Miles (vocals), and iconic sideman Orestes Vilato (flute, percussion) appear. With this remaster, their contributions register with improved focus, imaging, and separation.

Ending a creative lull that lasted for a majority of the decade, Blues for Salvador calls attention to Santana’s natural ability to simply let loose and have fun. It’s also an unmistakable return to his love of jazz and a tribute to many of his heroes. The new-age atmospherics of “Bella,” a composition dedicated to his daughter, doubles as an ode to Wes Montgomery, Otis Rush, T. Bone Walker, and other six-string pioneers. The snaking pulse of “‘Trane” — featuring Williams cracking heads behind the drum kit — obviously bows to John Coltrane. Charles Mingus, another giant, gets his due on the short, keyboard-accompanied “Mingus.”

Drawing from a hodgepodge of sources, Blues for Salvador contains new compositions, alternate takes of previously released material, and a monster live version of “Now That You Know” that witness Santana leaning into an improvisational thicket of soulful bass lines and cooking organ passages. His elastic guitar seemingly spits notes amid programmed beats on a funky, zig-zagging reading of “Deeper, Dig Deeper” (originally from Freedom) and mixes Brazilian, 80s pop and cabaret disciplines on “Hannibal” (originally from ZeBop!).

In that it simply illustrates Santana’s passion for playing, Blues for Salvador pursues no agenda. That’s a large part of its appeal. Though the mixed provenance of its songs may have prevented it from climbing the charts, it remains a key if oft-overlooked entry in the legend’s vast catalog — an often breezy, fun, and meditative collection that ends with a title track featuring some of the most inspired playing of Satana’s mid-period career.