Few bands have harnessed the essence and power of rhythm as well as Carlos Santana. His Latin rock and jazz fusion created a fury of percussive force about which the world seems to have forgotten.

Carlos Santana has spent the past decade or so getting back to his roots after a run of all-star collaboration albums made him a chart-topping and Grammy-winning superstar at the turn of the century.

If you just look at the chart numbers, the self-titled debut album by Santana in 1969 seems like it was the product of a band coming out of the gate with a clear vision of what they wanted to do and a ...