The Family that Plays Together…
Legendary percussionist Pete Escovedo & his sons will fill the Napa Valley Opera House with their powerful and infectious blend of Latin, Jazz, Soul and Pop
For Pete Escovedo, making music has always been a family affair. Born in Pittsburg, CA in 1935, and raised in an Oakland household drenched in music, Escovedo developed a taste for jazz at a young age while accompanying his father and siblings to see the big bands of the day as they passed through town. He began playing the saxophone at sixteen then discovered his love for percussion and the rhythms of Cuban and Latin jazz soon after that.
His siblings caught the music bug, too. Pete and his brothers, Coke and Phil formed the Escovedo Brothers Latin Jazz band, which became one of the most popular Latin jazz combos in California. International recognition came when Carlos Santana hired Pete and Coke to join his hugely popular group in the late 1960s. “That was our entry into the Latin rock scene,” Pete says.
In 1970, after touring with Santana for three years, Pete and Coke formed Azteca, an ambitious 14-piece Latin big band. Azteca toured with Stevie Wonder and The Temptations and recorded “Azteca” and “Pyramid of the Moon” with Columbia Records. These showcases of the band’s jazz, soul, rock and funk fusion are now considered collectors’ items.
Throughout his three-decade long career, Pete Escovedo has focused on a vision of contemporary Latin jazz filtered through a pop-tinged prism. His versatility as a percussionist is evidenced by the long and distinguished list of artists with which he has worked. In addition to Carlos Santana, Escovedo has recorded with Tito Puente, Herbie Hancock, Bobby McFerrin, Boz Scaggs, Al Jarreau, Dionne Warwick, Barry White, Chick Corea, and Prince to name a few.
And, the music making legacy of the Escovedos continues today. Pete’s daughter Sheila E is a popular singer and percussionist, most well known for her collaborations in the 1980s with Prince. She and her father have recorded two albums together. His son, Juan, a percussionist and songwriter brings a touch of R&B to the Escovedo brand of Latin jazz. Juan has toured and recorded with many popular artists such as, Prince, Tony, Toni, Tone, Patti LaBelle, Lou Bega, MC Hammer, En Vogue, El DeBarge, and Barry White. His other son, Peter Michael, (known to some as the biological father of Nicole Richie) is not only a percussionist, but a producer, singer, songwriter, and television personality. He is the Emmy nominated Musical Director/Producer of the "Wayne Brady Show".
Sheila, Juan, Peter Michael and daughter Zina all play on Pete’s latest album, “E Street”. “The fact that my kids play, is probably the most rewarding and proudest thing in my life,” Pete says. “I try to include the kids on most of my CDs, because the Escovedo sound is the Escovedo family, and that’s what makes it all worth it for me.”
Escovedo has built quite an extended family as well. He believes in the healing power of music and donates his time to numerous charity events to help children around the world by teaching them the importance of music.
Napa Valley audiences will be treated to the unique and powerful sound of the Escovedo family when Juan and Peter Michael join their legendary “pop”, Pete Escovedo and his band on Saturday August 16 at 8pm at the Opera House. Latin, jazz, soul, pop, African, and Brazilian sounds will mix to produce a feast for the senses.
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