Carlos Santana [ tickets ] has developed a split persona over the last seven years.

There's Carlos Santana the mega-pop star, the one who has sold millions of records by collaborating with Rob Thomas, Wyclef Jean, Dave Matthews and other A-list musical stars on glossy, radio-friendly tunes. Then there's Carlos Santana the concert attraction, the one who hasn't forgotten how to roll up his sleeves and put on a blisteringly good live performance.

It was the latter who, thankfully, showed up Saturday night (8/5) at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA.

"It is a complete supreme joy to be in your presence in the Bay Area," the local legend said to the hometown crowd.

The feeling was, for the most part, mutual. There certainly had to be some folks who were disappointed that the 59-year-old guitar god didn't put on a more widely accessible show--one that would have emphasized the hits over instrumental jamming. Most of the 15,000-or-so fans in attendance, however, seemed in complete rapture as Santana basically turned his back on radio-friendly material and focused on extended jams and ample soloing.

This was not a night intended for those who only know Santana from his last three albums--1999's "Supernatural," 2002's "Shaman" and 2005's "All That I Am." It was a night for those who are deeply familiar with his older recordings and know Santana as a tireless sonic explorer--the guy who once collaborated with the likes of Alice Coltrane, Buddy Miles and John McLaughlin.

Kicking off his standard opening number--"Jingo" from his 1969 eponymous effort--Santana was clearly in the mood to jam, and he stretched out many of the tunes with epic guitar leads and by providing plenty of space for his sidemen to shine.

And what sidemen they are.

A player has to be at the top of his/her game to keep pace with the bandleader, and each member of the 11-piece group was an absolute ace. In particular, the horn duo (trombonist Jeff Cressman and trumpeter Bill Ortiz) added plenty of fire to the already spicy Latin-jazz-meets-classic-rock concoctions. Bassist Benny Rietveld, a former sideman in Miles Davis' band, also played a big part in setting the Grand Canyon-deep grooves.

Rietveld's contributions to the band are hard to overstate. When was the last time you heard fans raving about a bassist at a guitar hero's show? Doesn't happen often. But it definitely occurred on this night at Shoreline.

Vocalist Andy Vargas, having replaced the great Tony Lindsay a few years back, also did a fine job. His best moment came with the sweet, sexy rendition of "Maria, Maria," a tune sung by Wyclef Jean on "Supernatural."

Yet, some of the night's finest vocal work came courtesy of Anthony Hamilton [ tickets ], the young soul singer who opened the show, as he returned to the stage and helped Santana's band turn out a great version of "Twisted."

Still, the lasting memory is of the man himself--Carlos Santana--as he picked out crystal-clear leads that both chilled fans to the bone and energized their hips. And he kept getting stronger as the night progressed, ending the show in triumphant fashion with a blistering take on "Into the Night."