Santana lives up to his legend

Carlos Santana is shown playing Dubai on Feb. 15. (Regi Varghese/Reuters)

During a brief break in an epic performance by his namesake band Friday night at the Agganis Arena, Carlos Santana urged the members of the sold-out crowd to "create a masterpiece of joy out of your life."

And then instead of more talking, the guitar legend decided to lead by example. The joy was in the blissed-out smile he couldn't shake during the jubilant "Life Is for Living," the jaunty steps on display for an impromptu pas de deux with some female audience members, and the unabashed pride he took in his nephew, Berklee student Adam Lasher, matching him lick for lick. "And yes, he's single," he informed the ladies in the crowd with dutiful uncle-style mischief.

His guitar work was likewise inspired, whether playing riff-generating subordinate on newer songs like "Into the Night" or stretching out on piquant lyrical runs up and down his fretboard for vintage tunes like "Soul Sacrifice." Santana has lost none of the zeal for the performing he has done for more than 40 years.

The all-ages audience picked up on that mirth and followed him willingly from the interstellar planetary grooves of his early psychedelic work through detours into Latin jazz fusion with his hot 10-piece band to the pop radio catnip of his latest all-star pairings.

Unlike some of his more self-indulgent jam band descendants, Santana always has a destination in mind for his instrumental interludes. The solos themselves may have been pure improv but he remained mindful on songs like the polyrhythmic "Foo Foo" and the acid blues rave-up "No One to Depend On" of keeping the tension intact in order to give the climaxes more punch.

Vocalists Andy Vargas and Tony Lindsay kept up with the gifted instrumentalists, often lending more soul and grit to songs like "Maria Maria" and "Smooth" than their recorded counterparts. Dennis Chambers remains a monster behind the drum kit and, in concert with percussionists Raul Rekow and Karl Perazzo, ensured that rest for those in the crowd who wanted to dance would come after the show.

Sometime Allman Brothers Band guitarist and clear Santana enthusiast Derek Trucks opened the evening with simpatico sounds from his eponymous group.