Santana IV: Live at the House of Blues, Las Vegas

Many may find it hard to believe that the original, classic lineup of Santana only released three albums before the band's members went their separate ways in the early 1970s. Captured live at Las Vegas's House of Blues a few weeks before the rock/jazz/African rhythms/Latin/blues group released Santana IV in 2016, this 24-song performance is anchored by namesake guitarist Carlos Santana, who is backed by Neal Schon on guitar, keyboardist/lead vocalist Gregg Rolie, drummer Michael Shrieve, and Michael Carabello on congas and percussion. Mixing old and new material, the band sizzles from the get-go with an opening salvo of the famed instrumental “Soul Sacrifice,” which somehow sounds fresh despite carrying decades of classic rock dust. “Jingo” begins with a long rumble before eventually breaking into a soaring cry from Carlos's battered, battle-scarred guitar; “Anywhere You Want to Go” seems an appropriate title for a tune that is a simple riff with plenty of room for individual solos; and the John Coltrane influence on oldie “No One to Depend On” has never been clearer. But it's Santana's greatest-hits material—including “Black Magic Woman” and “Oye Como Va”—that demonstrate just how much the music benefits from some added years of maturity. Bundled with two audio CDs, this is presented in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (T. Keogh)