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This time, it's not about Santana. Carlos Santana Plays Blues at Montreaux 2004 is, pure and simple, about the love of the Blues. Legendary bluesmen Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Bobby Parker and Buddy Guy are introduced by and join Carlos Santana on stage to crank out some killer jams and blues standards.

Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown tears into I Got My Mojo Working, with reckless abandon. Santana takes a back seat to Brown's unique guitar styling until about halfway through when he busts out with a solo of his own. All the sudden stepping to the forefront and out of the background Niles Rodgers throws in a nice little bass solo. This jam continues with a screaming contribution from the horn section, some wicked slap bass and out of nowhere a Buddy Guy guitar solo. It really is as long as that running description. Wow.

Bobby Parker gets the crowd up and ready to boogie with the ironically titled Mellow Down Easy. Once again Santana is not the main attraction despite the title of the DVD. He pretty much cedes the way to Parker's guitar and stands on stage as the cheerleader clapping along to the beat. Dane Paul Russell contributes some insane harmonica work that almost steals Parker's thunder. Parker's an interesting looking guy. He has kind of a Chuck Berry style hair-do that looks fake and almost certainly is.

Buddy Guy and his polka-dot guitar. This guy is the definition of cool. He takes the stage like he's ready to go fishing, invites Santana up to join him and turns out an incendiary version of Stormy Monday, complete with dueling guitars so intense it's surprising Guy and Santana didn't spontaneously combust. After they calm down, Barbara Morrison, who performed with the likes of Ray Charles and Dizzy Gillespie, takes the stage to duet with Buddy. Great, once in a lifetime performance.

This is a celebration of the blues. It's a celebration of these blues legends, who both own and steal the show. Carlos Santana is just a lucky guy to be there.