Santana, Los Lobos Unite in a Charged Show

Funk jams, Latin jams, rock jams, slow jams--whatever kind of jams you wanted, guitarist Carlos Santana and his six-piece band offered plenty during their nearly 2 1/2 hours on stage Thursday, the first of four nights at the Greek.

As long as the group’s signature percussive grooves were flowing, you couldn’t have asked for a better vibe on a warm Southern California summer night. It was pretty hard not to get caught up in the beat when the players were wending their way through “Oye Como Va,” “Hold On” and other favorites from Santana’s 30-year history. And for sheer thrilling musicianship, it was tough to beat the set’s highlight, a jam with opening act Los Lobos that brought together California’s northern and southern Latin-rock pioneers in a sprawling, joyous, politically charged session.

Yet the hypnotic, cascading polyrhythms and Santana’s deft, mellifluous guitar work too often yielded to extended bass and percussion solos that were just as much a part of the group’s tradition but, though executed with expert passion, dragged down the pace.

Kicking off its own stylistically varied hourlong set in a Santana-esque mode, Los Lobos ended up having to rouse the audience out of a jam-induced stupor of its own making. Several upbeat traditional Mexican tunes and blues-flecked rockers did the trick, leaving the crowd hollering for more after the last fiery licks of “La Bamba” had faded.

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* Santana and Los Lobos play tonight and Sunday at the Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont, 7 p.m. $20.25-$38.25; tonight, sold out. (213) 480-3232.