If one had to encapsulate Carlos Santana’s life, artistry and career in a word, it’s one that applies to his instantly recognizable guitar sound: “sustain.” From the time he played through the humbucking pickups of a Gibson SG at Woodstock to his most recent performances strapped to his trademark PRS guitar at his ongoing House of Blues residency, Santana has transported music from his heart through his soul via his chosen instrument. He returned for the latest run of An Intimate Evening with Santana: Greatest Hits Live on Jan. 23, two days before the release of his latest recording of sonic explorations.

In Search of Mona Lisa, an EP with three original songs, marks the start of Santana’s relationship with Concord Records. He’s the latest prestigious signing for the label, now home to a diverse roster of respected artists including Chick Corea, Elvis Costello and Taj Mahal. Santana’s latest song set is inspired by a recent visit to the Louvre, which the guitarist had never visited in all his years of playing concerts in Paris. One look at Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa sparked melodic musings that manifested aurally as three new songs.

Discovery is one way the mercurial musician sustains his inspiration. Changing directions has nourished Carlos Santana’s creative drive since the early days of his eponymous band. Born in Mexico to a mariachi violinist and a mother with unshakable belief in her son, Santana emerged on the San Francisco music scene as a hotshot blues guitarist championed by legendary promoter Bill Graham. He and organist Gregg Rolie helped form a collective in 1966, named Santana Blues Band, and by the time Graham helped them get booked at Woodstock the band’s classic lineup had gelled and shortened its name to Santana.

That lineup released its self-titled debut in 1969, practically inventing Latin rock. Follow-up album Abraxas was already influenced by the guitarist’s need to stretch boundaries, as his idol John Coltrane had done. Coltrane’s exploratory influence was apparent on an album track that was essentially an early mash-up, with Fleetwood Mac’s “Black Magic Woman” segueing into Gabor Szabo’s “Gypsy Queen.” Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green and Hungarian-born Szabo were primary influences on Santana, and were both pioneers of sustained guitar sounds that Santana would take to the next level with 1970’s Abraxas and 1971’s Santana III, the latter of which featured future Journey co-founder (with Rolie) Neal Schon.

In the process, Carlos Santana created an immediately recognizable tone. He sustained his career for 50 years by taking that tone in whatever direction his instinct told him to go. Periodically he comes back to the pop charts, as he did with his massively successful 1999 album Supernatural. An Intimate Evening includes Grammy-winning hit “Smooth” and “Maria, Maria” from that album, along with classic-era hits such as “Evil Ways,” “Soul Sacrifice” and “Jingo.” If audiences hear unfamiliar material not included on the new EP, however, the source may be a Rick Rubin-produced full-length album due out this summer.

House of Blues, 7 p.m. Jan. 27, 30-31 & Feb. 1-2, $99.50-$364 plus tax and fee, 18+. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster