No Solo Sacrifice for a Vigorous Santana

ANAHEIM —  During more than 25 years of exploring Latin, rock, blues and jazz mutations, Carlos Santana has created one of the most distinctive sounds in popular music.

But as many of his classic-rock cronies simply recycle past glory, the 48-year-old native of Autlan de Navarro, Mexico, reinvigorates himself and his art by digging ever deeper.

Santana’s fascination with the metaphysical--his quest for what he calls “the Primordial Vibration”--was at the heart of two spiritually tinged albums, 1990’s “Spirits Dancing in the Flesh” and 1992’s “Milagro.”

He also continues to stretch on the terrestrial plane. Last year he launched his own Guts and Glory record label, its first release being “Brothers,” a family-affair guitar summit featuring Carlos, his brother Jorge Santana and nephew Carlos Hernandez.

Such efforts seem to have kept his mind and music vibrant. Nowhere has this been more evident than at a packed Pond of Anaheim on Saturday over the course of an exhilarating 2 1/2-hour performance.

Reenlisting the soulful vocals of Tony Lindsay, who first toured with the band in 1991, Santana focused more on lesser-known material that included numerous instrumental selections and frequent extended soloing.

From the opening of the reworked gem “Soul Sacrifice” through a rousing climax of “Black Magic Woman,” “Oye Como Va” and “Europa” (their only nods to past hits), Santana led a captivating personal and musical odyssey of propulsive rhythms, searing yet stylish guitar excursions and heartfelt polemics on war, religion and politics.

Along the way, the band juggled serious and celebratory moods with equal flair and flavor. The evening’s most thought-provoking number emerged early on during a powerful offering of “Let There Be Light/Spirits Dancing In The Flesh,” in which the emotionally driven song of longing and hope was embodied by Lindsay’s full-bodied tenor.

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A party atmosphere prevailed, however, in the ensuing series of well-placed Latino rockers, including the beat-crazy “Bailando” and a double dose of spicy delights, “Guajira” and the hot, hot rhythms of the bouncy “Jingo.”

In recent years, Santana often has been content in concert to watch his supporting cast share the spotlight while significantly minimizing his solo spots. This night, however, he took a back seat to no one, immersing himself in long, frequent and fluid guitar jams, playing each note with inspired vigor and determination. It was hard to tell whether the aching, sensual notes he spun out during “Europa” were the result of some kind of divine intervention or perhaps just an old-fashioned, down-to-earth, hard night’s work.

While Santana continues to challenge himself with fresh ideas, or at least new approaches to the familiar, War relied heavily on nostalgia during its well-received, 60-minute set of funk, R&B; and soul-laced pop.

Yet in drawing from a voluminous catalog of good material, the Compton-based group’s set of old hits held up exceptionally well for the most part. As evidenced by a sea of dancing humanity, War’s good-time vibes remain alive and kicking.