Pop Music Reviews : Santana Leads the Way With His Promise Band

Shifting between the sweet gentleness of a purring tabby and the ferocity of a Mike Tyson hammering away at an opponent, guitarist Carlos Santana led his Promise Band through an evening of aggressive instrumental Latin/blues/rock at the Wiltern Theatre on Friday that left the packed house screaming for more.

Santana and his cohorts--Chester Thompson (keyboards), Alphonso Johnson (bass), Ndugu Chancler (drums), Chepito Areas (timbales and percussion) and Armando Peraza (congas)--included material from most of his CBS LPs. The tunes ranged from “Savor”--from his recorded debut, “Santana”--to “Bella” and “Hannibal” from his newest release, “Blues for Salvador.” “Savor” was a rhythm fiesta for the noted conguero Armando Peraza, who slapped his congas with stinging, openhanded whaps.

Much of the time Santana--still as thin as a slash and wearing a pink headband, sleeveless white T-shirt and white jeans--and his band played loud , sometimes creating such a roar that the leader’s patented guitar sound--thick and gleaming and sinewy--could barely be heard above the deafening bedrock of rhythm. But there were several moments, as on a duet between Santana and Thompson called “Goodness and Mercy,” when the players’ notes were soft and singing.

Santana opened with a bang, knocking out such riveting numbers as “Bailando” and “Kenesis,” tunes with brief melodies built over fomenting rhythms designed for soloing. And most featured the guitarist--either meandering about the stage or standing still, his knees bent, his face in a grimace--hitting long, stretched-out notes or tagging one note over and over steadily, following this simplicity with a burst of rapid-fire complexity.

Toward the end of the show, soprano saxophonist Wayne Shorter arrived to blow bittersweet notes on “Mandela” and the tender “Europa,” the latter one of the leader’s most memorable compositions. Shorter’s presence both tended to bring out Santana’s less rambunctious side and added a pleasing jazz dimension that gave the show a welcome change of pace.