This past weekend (September 23 and September 24), possibly the greatest lineup of guitar talent ever assembled came together at LA's Crypto.com Arena for the 2023 Crossroads Guitar Festival.
The festival saw John Mayer jam with H.E.R., Joe Bonamassa and John McLaughlin honor Jeff Beck with a stunning version of Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers, and Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram trade licks with Eric Gales and Samantha Fish, among other highlights.
Carlos Santana was the electric guitar icon chosen to close the star-studded proceedings, and he did so with some help from festival organizer Eric Clapton.
The two played out the festival with a tip of the cap to the late Peter Green, in the form of a smokin' cover of Fleetwood Mac's Black Magic Woman, and a spirited version of the Doors' bar-band classic, Roadhouse Blues.
You can see fan-filmed footage of the performances below.
When paying tribute to the original owner of one of the most famous Gibson Les Pauls in history, a single-cut is in order, and indeed, Santana arms himself with the single-cut version of his PRS signature guitar, finished in – obviously – gold.
Clapton, meanwhile, uses a uniquely finished Stratocaster that was custom-built specially for the festival and inspired by his previous collaborations with New York street artist, John Matos.
Black Magic Woman certainly isn't the lead guitar version of a Formula 1 race, and indeed, the two guitar legends take the song as an opportunity to showcase their enviable vibrato and deft melodic touch. “The doctor['s] in the house,” Santana says in reference to his old friend at the conclusion of their equally smooth version of Roadhouse Blues, “Mr. Eric Clapton.”
Guitar Center's 25th Anniversary Crossroads Collection of guitars also, aside from the Matos-inspired Strat, features two gorgeous Martin acoustic guitars – a D-45 and D-28 – a Todd Krause-built Blu Scozia Strat inspired by one of Clapton's Ferraris, and a Private Stock PRS Carlos Santana I model finished in Santana Orange.
All five guitars will be sold, with part of the proceeds going toward Clapton's Crossroads Centre in Antigua.
For more info on the 25th Anniversary Crossroads Collection, visit Guitar Center.
