Pete Escovedo

Since the 1970s Pete Escovedo has stood as a defining presence across Latin music. Serving as composer, master percussionist, trombonist, saxophonist, vocalist, and bandleader, his command of multiple roles has brought him prominence in Latin jazz, salsa, rock, funk, and Latin pop alike. His recording path opened in 1960 when he sang with Mongo Santamaria; later in the decade he became widely recognized as a percussionist in Santana’s band, remaining an occasional member through 1980. Alongside brothers Coke and Phil he launched the Latin jazz fusion ensemble Azteca, which delivered the Columbia albums Azteca in 1972 and Pyramid of the Moon in 1973 before disbanding. His first date as leader, The Island, appeared in 1982 and was followed three years later by Yesterday’s Memories Tomorrow’s Dreams. After joining Concord he released Mister E in 1982 and, with daughter Sheila E. plus Tito Puente, the 1987 album Latina Familia. Throughout the nineties he produced key Latin jazz recordings such as Flying South in 1995 and E Street in 1997. A two-disc survey of his Concord years, Whatcha Gonna Do?, surfaced in 2002. In 2018 he issued the widely praised Back to the Bay, which reached number 25 on the jazz album chart, and followed it in 2021 with Rhythm of the Night.

Born in 1935, Escovedo was raised amid the musical households of Oakland, California. His father performed with Latin big bands, his mother sang, and his brothers—Alejandro, Javier, Phil, and Thomas “Coke” Escovedo—all pursued careers in music. He played saxophone in high school before shifting to vibes; when pianist Ed Kelly required a percussionist, Escovedo discovered his lasting direction. He and younger brother Coke quickly established themselves as sought-after percussionists on the Northern California circuit. With youngest sibling Phil on bass they formed the Escovedo Brothers Latin Jazz Sextet, which dissolved in 1967 once Carlos Santana recruited both Pete and Coke for his Latin rock ensemble. After intermittent touring with Santana across the following decade—and sporadic appearances with the band thereafter—Pete and Coke assembled the fourteen-piece Latin big band Azteca, whose roster also featured trumpeter Tom Harrell and guitarist Neil Schon. The group recorded Azteca in 1972 and Pyramid of the Moon in 1973 for Columbia; when membership expanded to twenty-four players the enterprise became financially unsustainable despite the strength of the music.

Escovedo has worked in an extraordinary range of contexts, collaborating with Herbie Hancock, Woody Herman, Cal Tjader (both live and on the Agua Dulce album), Betty Davis, Bill Summers, and Tito Puente among many others. He began featuring daughter Sheila E. in his bands while she was still a teenager in the mid-seventies, prior to her joining Prince; together they recorded Solo Two for Fantasy in 1977 and contributed to Billy Cobham’s Magic. He has continued to direct his own Latin jazz ensembles, often including children Juan, Peter Michael, and Zina. As a leader he has recorded for Fantasy, sometimes co-billed with Sheila E., and for Concord and its Crossover, Picante, and Vista imprints. He and Tito Puente shared co-billing with Sheila E. on 1987’s Latina Familia. Among his strongest releases are Flying South (1995), E Street (1997), and E Music (2000). Following the 2001 double-disc retrospective Whatcha Gonna Do?, he contributed to sessions by Marion Meadows, Ledisi, and brother Alejandro, operated a series of nightclubs where he performed regularly with his groups, and maintained active session work. The 2003 live album Live!, featuring Sheila E., sons Peter Michael and Juan, trombonist Wayne Wallace, and Errol Knowles, documented one such performance. Over the ensuing decade he led a large Latin jazz orchestra, playing his own venues and serving as a community educator.

He opened 2013 with the large-ensemble recording Live from Stern Grove, whose personnel included sons Juan and Peter Michael alongside pianist Joe Rotondi and trumpeters Louis Fasman and Mario Gonzales, with guest appearances by Sheila E., saxophonist Dave Koz, guitarist Ray Obiedo, and trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. He maintained an active schedule of touring and residencies for most of the next three years, pausing only to appear on Con Funk Shun’s 2015 comeback album More Than Love. When he next entered the studio as leader, he applied his Latin jazz perspective to Bay Area classics and vintage soul material, enlisting vocalists Sy Smith, Howard Hewett, Bobby Caldwell—who performed a salsa version of the latter’s hit “What Won’t You Do for Love”—and additional singers for Back to the Bay.

In September 2021 Escovedo released the studio album Rhythm of the Night. Produced and arranged by Peter Michael Escovedo, the project presented nine vintage soul and R&B hits reimagined for his fourteen-piece Latin Jazz Orchestra. That November the Latin Grammys presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award.