Title: Santana
Author: Jennie Keen
Email Addy: Jkeen@excel.net or enchanteddreams@excel.net
Status: new
Archive: Link to my page at https://members.tripod.com/~MacSen
Series/Sequel: none
Rating: PG

DISCLAIMER: The Sentinel does not belong to me. It belongs to PetFly Productions and the ppl who make the show. I just like playing with Jim and Blair for a bit.(I'll return them!!) Well, maybe!! ;)

Ok, this is sorta based on a conversation my dad and I had yesterday as we were listening to the radio in the car. When I was watching MTV newslink earlier today, my mind started forming a story and how Jim would react and such.... well, here we are. ; )

Jim Ellison stared at the radio ready to turn it off with disgust. He listened to the latin rthymitic chords floating out over the room, that he liked, but the was vocie was diffrent. 'This isn't Santana... sounds like them playing, but the lead singer is *not* Carlos Santana... grrr... I want Carlos Santana's vocie on here.'

As Jim was silently wondering what was up with the latest Santana song, Smooth featuring Rob Thomas as lead vocal, Blair Sandburg walked into the loft carrying a small bag with him.

"Hey Jim, whatz up man?" Blair asked concerned as he saw Jim standing over by the radio, his face scrunched up with distaste.

"Hey Chief... I'm fine, it's just where the heck is Carlos Santana on their new song Smooth? It sounds like him playing the gutair and the rest of the band, but why isn't Carlos Santana on vocal? You can't call it Santana if this Rob Thomas guy does *all* the vocals on the song!!" Jim complained in a whiny vocie, his eyes pleading with Blair.

"Oh, uh.... then I don't think your going to like their new album. Here..." Blair took out what he had in his little bag and handed it over to Jim, "It's the new Santana cd. It features Carlos Santana of course; Dave Matthews, Everlast, Rob Thomas, Lauryn Hill & Cee-Lo, Mana, Eagle-Eye Cherry, Eric Clapton, Product G & B, Wyclef Jean & Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis. It looks like the songs that are in spanish were sung by Carlos Santana, personally, I think they teamed up with today's artists for a commercial purpose. The new Santana video with Rob Thomas is getting air play on MTV and VH1, do you really thing that if Santana would not have so many semi-good artistist featured, and it was *only* Santana, they'd get as much air play?" Blair asked as he took back the cd and opened it.

"I think your right in that regard Chief, but I don't understand why they'd want to go commercial. They are a strong band without all those featured artists, and I wouldn't care if they didn't get as much air play as the other artists out there.

"I know Jim. I know, but remember, money is the key factor here, and I think they wanted to work with these artists because some of them are very very good. Dave Matthews, Everlast, Rob Thomas, Eric Clapton, and Laurn Hill are all very good. I don't care too much for rap, but Laurn Hill is good." Blair said as he popped the cd into the player.

"Yeah... who's Rob Thomas Chief?" Jim said starting to resign himself to the fact that Santana was just doing what they do and making music, with barely no Carlos on lead.

"Rob Thomas is the lead singer in Matchbox 20. He's fairly cool, and they've got some pretty cool songs." Blair said as he sat down on the couch grabbing his little bag preceeding to take out another item.

"What else do you have in there Chief?" Jim asked as he sat down next to Blair.

"Oh, just some more cd's. I bought myself Ricky Martin and a Jethro Tull cd."

"Tull? You like Tull?" Jim asked shocked.

"Yeah man. You'd be surprised at what I like. Oh, what are you doing on the 20th of Auguast Jim?"

"Nothing. Simon told me that I had to take the day off. Said something about how I was spending too much time at work and that I need a break. I don't know. I was thinking myabe we'd go camping." Jim said as he streched.

"No, were not going to go camping. I bought tickets to the Santana concert in Goerge, WA. It'll take you about four and a half-hours to get there. Go have some fun, make a weekend out of it." Blair said as he waved the tickets in Jim's face.

"Wow!! Blair, how the heck did you pay for this?"

"I've been saving up. I told you that your birthday present would be late, and this is your birthday present. Happy belated B-day Jim."

"Thank You Blair. You have two tickets here... why aren't you including yourself in this plan?"

"It's your birthday present, and I thought you'd like to take someone else than me. I mean, I hang out with you all the time, and maybe you'd like to take someone important with you who likes Santana as much as you do."

"Blair, you are very important to me, wanna come? Your the first person I think about when I go camping and weekend stuff. Come on Chief... join in on the fun. Come with me and see a *great* band. Please Blair?"

"All right, all right Jim. I'll go. Thank you Jim." Blair said as he smiled as Jim pulled him into a hug.

"Great. Thanks Buddy. Now, I rented Austin Powers and Patch Adams, which movie do you want to watch?" Jim asked as he got up off the couch turning off the cd player.

"Uh... Patch Adams first. Want me to order some pizza?"

"Sure Chief... I have some coupons on top of the fridge."

"Ok." Blair ordered the pizza and soon the two best friends were watching the movie intently, happy and content, each one thinking about the concert and how much fun they were going to have over the weekend.

The End