LEGENDARY MUSICIAN CARLOS SANTANA GEARS UP FOR THREE NEW JERSEY PERFORMANCES IN AUGUST

Carlos Santana has made a lifetime of orchestrating the fusion of pop Chicano and psychedelic rock, so it’s no coincidence that the name of Santana’s biggest hit, and the second most successful song of all time according to Billboard, perfectly sums up the musician and his guitar playing style in one word, “Smooth.” Ranked the 15th Greatest Guitarist of All Time by Rolling Stone, Santana has won ten Grammys and been credited with nothing less than bridging the gap between Latin and American rock.

At 67, the virtuoso guitarist only seems to be gaining momentum. In December of 2013, Santana became a Kennedy Center Honoree, and last November he released his autobiography The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light to critical acclaim. (The San Francisco Chronicle called it “one of the most articulate rock memoirs ever.”)

The Jalisco, Mexico native is currently touring off of his 22nd studio album, Corazón, which debuted in May 2014 and features covers like “Iron Lion Zion” and new tunes such as “Indy” and “Yo Soy La Luz.” Many consider the work to be the artist’s first true Latin album; it includes vocal contributions from Ziggy Marley, Cindy Blackman, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, and Gloria Estefan.

The worldwide “Corazón” tour spans the globe, with stops in Switzerland, Austria, and Italy in July, and an astonishing six stops in the tri-state area in August, including back-to-back-to back stops in New Jersey.

From August 21-23, Santana will perform two shows at the Borgata in Atlantic City before capping off the weekend at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel on Sunday night. (To those concerned that the amount of shows will eventually take a toll on the sexagenarian musician, consider that Santana has consistently averaged 80-90 concerts year.)

Corazón performances have packed the same jazzy guitar fueled intensity fans have been celebrating for nearly 50 years. Each show has been peppered with lengthy high-octane guitar solos, notable covers, and memorable hits, combining for sets in the 17-20-song range.