Hey! Do you know my dad, Alberto Gianquinto?

...“Incident At Neshabur,” an instrumental track from earlier sessions that hadn’t found a home on the debut. Co-written by Carlos Santana and Alberto Gianquinto, a pianist most known for his work with the James Cotton Blues Band, it moves impressively through a wide dynamic range of moods and styles, driven by Gianquinto’s powerful piano and Rolie’s high-flying Hammond B3.

Santana shows off his jazz chops yet again in soaring and rhythmically detailed solos. The combination of lyricism, hard rock, and Latin percussion makes the song a perfect calling card for everything Santana did best.—Jeremy Shatan, Rock and Roll Globe

My dad, Alberto Gianquinto, was an interesting character who played a big part in the Blues and Rock scene of the 1960s and 1970s. Dad, who idolized Ray Charles on the piano, was born in 1943 in San Francisco.

After only a few lessons, he became a master on the piano. James Cotton had just left the band of Muddy Waters and discovered Dad in San Francisco in 1966. Dad toured with and recorded two albums with James Cotton; James Cotton Blues Band 1967 and Pure Cotton 1968 were recorded on Verve Records.

In 1967, Dad arranged and played piano on Somebody Loan Me A Dime by Fenton Robinson, which was later made into a hit by Boz Scaggs in 1969.

One night in 1968, B.B. King was doing a show and his piano player failed to show. B.B. asked if anyone in the audience could play piano and Dad came on stage. He really tore the place up!

After touring with B.B. King all of 1968, he made an album with Elvin Bishop in 1969. Bishop later had a mega hit in 1976, Fooled Around and Fell in Love.

Dad's biggest accomplishment was joining Santana in 1969 and working on the first three Santana albums. All went Platinum!

By the early 70s, Dad came to Chicago to be a part of the Blues scene. He played with many Blues greats like Otis Rush, Johnny Winter, and he had two albums with Son Seals in 1976 and 1978.

Check out Dad's live album with Otis Rush, All Your Love (I Miss Loving) from 1976 on Delmark Records, which is a Chicago Blues Label.

*The James Cotton Blues Band (l-r) Luther Tucker, Francis Clay, James Cotton, Alberto Gianquinto, Bobby Anderson*

Dad was also on Alligator Records, which is another famous Blues Label. Dad lived on the West Side of Chicago; on Chicago Ave and Mayfield. The Big Blues Clubs that he played at were The Kingston Mines, The Wise Fools Pub, and Queen Bee's on 74th and South Chicago.

Although Dad didn't become famous, he made enough from his records to not have to work. By 1979 Dad had moved back to San Francisco and finally Columbia, Missouri where sadly he passed away in 1986 at 43.

Dad was also very big on political issues, and he knew the famous Black Panthers of Oakland, California.

In 1970, Dad convinced the guys of Santana to perform at a benefit for the Black Panthers in Oakland.

Please read about my dad in these books: