POP MUSIC REVIEWS : SANTANA STEPS OUT OF A TIME WARP

It’s one of pop’s most familiar sights and sounds: Carlos Santana tilting his head back, eyes closed, deftly reeling off squealing guitar leads that slice through his band’s polyrhythmic jams. This rockin’ ritual was presented Thursday at the Wiltern Theatre, as it has been since some members of the audience were in diapers--the show was part of a tour to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the guitarist’s career.

If the evening was a nod to his impressive longevity--and guitar-playing--it also floated in and out of an odd time warp. That’s because in recent years the Bay Area band has projected two distinct personalities, particularly on stage. The dominant personality is the original one, given to extended percussive blowouts and lots of soloing by Carlos and the other musicians.

The other Santana operates as a more contemporary pop band, with shorter, more structured tunes topped by smooth vocals as much as by Carlos’ fluid riffing. The group telegraphed this dichotomy in the show’s initial moments: It opened with an instrumental piece showcasing the flair of the four percussionists and the ponytailed guitarist. Then singer Buddy Miles joined the octet as it eased into “Open Invitation,” a catchy number from 1978’s “Inner Secrets.”

So it went for the rest of the night, though with a lot more jams than songs. The drawback was that Santana’s strictly instrumental side obeyed the law of diminishing returns. The more simmering rhythmic workouts he offered, the less interesting they seemed.

The show definitely hit some inspired peaks, but they might have remained more memorable had there been fewer--and more focused--attempts to reach them. Santana was also scheduled to play two Wiltern concerts on Friday.