Every great music scene contains a long chain of musicians that when put together as a whole represent the history of the music and the area. Young musicians hold the future of the music in their hands, and their development presents one of the scene’s most important tasks. These musicians need to be fueled with the history of the music and the correct performance practice; otherwise the lineage dwindles into obscurity over the years. The scene’s veteran musicians hold the task of keeping the scene vital and connecting with these younger musicians. They lead bands that appear throughout the area, they create new inventive twists upon the style, and they employ the younger generation as sidemen. The elder musicians on the scene sit in a revered and respected position, having lived through all these roles. They’ve seen the music’s history firsthand, they trained the veteran musicians, they made important artistic contributions, and their continued performances supply all this information without words. While each part of the chain holds an important task in the overall survival of the scene, the elder musicians serve as a key piece of the puzzle, connecting past and present.

World-renowned percussionist Pete Escovedo represents one of the elder figures in the San Francisco Bay Area’s Latin Jazz scene and his contributions over the years have been priceless. Learning his craft during the fifties, Escovedo established himself on the San Francisco scene playing with some of the local greats such as Carlos Frederico. In the sixties, he formed a Latin Jazz sextet with his brother Coke and worked with Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, and more. He became known worldwide through his work with Latin Rock guitarist Carlos Santana in the seventies, becoming a symbol of a music that many people considered to be a big part of the “San Francisco Sound.” Finding a home among the Latin Rock world, Escovedo and his brother formed Azteca, a now legendary Latin Rock group that influenced generations of musicians. In the late seventies, Escovedo returned to the Latin Jazz world, this time applying his established career savvy as a bandleader and serving as a mentor to a younger generation. A number of important musicians passed through the Escovedo band, including John Santos, Wayne Wallace, Paul Van Wageningen, Marc Van Wageningen, Bill Ortiz, Rebeca Mauleon, and David Belove; all these musicians learned from Escovedo and went onto become important leaders in their own right. As Escovedo became recognized around the world, he collaborated with some of the most important names in jazz and Latin music, including Herbie Hancock, Billy Cobham, Tito Puente, Poncho Sanchez, Chick Corea, and many more. His children have followed in their father’s footsteps, becoming music icons in their own right, including percussionist Sheila E. Now at 74 years old, Escovedo continues to carry the Latin Jazz flame around the world, playing with the enthusiasm of a man half his age and the finesse of an experienced artist.

This summer at the San Jose Jazz Festival, Escovedo lit a fire on the main stage with a group of musicians that represented the history of West Coast Latin Jazz. Escovedo’s group included some special guests including young trombone sensation Doug Beavers, Bay Area guitarist Ray Obiedo, and veteran Los Angeles woodwind wizard Justo Almario. His core group included a wide spectrum of Bay Area musicians including pianist Murray Low, bassist Marc Van Wageningen, drummer Paul Van Wageningen, trumpet player John Worley, and more. The group crossed several artistic generations, showing the continuing strength of the Bay Area scene. Today’s Latin Jazz Photo Album features Escovedo and his band during their performance at the San Jose Jazz Festival, putting on an impressive show. Enjoy!

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Pete Escovedo

Ray Obiedo

Justo Almario

Juan Escovedo

Doug Beavers

Justo Almario

Murray Low

Marc Van Wageningen

Paul Van Wageningen

John Worley

Pete Escovedo

Pete Escovedo

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Looking for more from Pete Escovedo? Check out some of his albums:

Mister E

E Music

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Do you have pictures to contribute to the Latin Jazz photo album? I’d love to have everyone in the Latin Jazz community contribute! I’ll be posting five to ten pictures a week - I’m looking for live performance shots, not promo pics. I’d like to keep them centered around one artist per week, but if you’ve got another idea, let’s talk. So come on Latin Jazz photographers, musicians, and fans - let’s put some more memorable pictures in the Latin Jazz Photo Album! Get my contact info HERE.

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Latin Jazz Photo Album: John Calloway & Diaspora
Latin Jazz Photo Album: Charlie Sepulveda
Latin Jazz Photo Album: Chembo Corniel & Grupo Chaworo
Latin Jazz Photo Album: Samuel Quinto

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