Pete Escovedo was born on July 13, 1935 in Pittsburg, California. Escovedo is a Latin jazz percussionist and a fine-art painter from the Bay Area who has been painting since he was fifteen years old. Pete has spent his life performing and showcasing his art and continues to do so till this day.
Mr. Escovedo was born and raised in the Bay Area with ties to Pittsburg, Vallejo, and Oakland. Pete also raised his own family in the Bay and continues to reside in California. Pete and his wife, Juanita, were married at St. Andrew’s Church in Oakland and celebrated together at the California Hotel in San Francisco. Together they had four children: Sheila, Juan, Peter Michael, and Zina.
Pete Escovedo is a legendary native whose vibrant artistry has continued to thrive. Pete has been growing as an artist in the music industry for over fifty years, he’s been across the world performing with his family, and they always make their way back to their Bay Area roots.
Escovedo attended high school in Oakland, California, where he played the saxophone and the vibes and eventually found his way to becoming a percussionist. He was surrounded by music as a child; his father sang with Latin big bands and inspired Pete to follow in his footsteps. He learned how to play percussion with the pianist Ed Kelly and went on to work with him, becoming one of the most demanded percussionists in the Bay Area.
Escovedo has been an artist his whole life: he was born into a family full of great talent in the arts. Since he was a young one, he’s been painting, drawing, and making music. Taking after his father, naturally Pete was a natural saxophonist but found his calling when he started beating drums.
He and his brother Coke Escovedo mastered the percussion so well that by the mid-1960s they were playing around Northern California. Eventually the family started the legendary band Azteca, where they went on to share their music around the world.
Throughout his career, Mr. E has been making art and has recently publicly shared his pieces with the world. He has showcased his art in Oakland and recently showed his art at the T-Mobile signature store in San Francisco.
Haunts:
- Pete liked to spend his time in Oakland performing at different venues. He has a lot of history here in Oakland and was known to hang out around the Bay. He did a show with his family at the Stern Grove Festival in 2012. Hundreds of people went to the event, including his friends.
- Sanchez Contemporary Art Gallery, 1951 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612. Pete likes to practice his art at his home and has showcased his art at Sanchez Contemporary in Oakland. Mr. Escovedo got to share his artwork with his fans and meet with other local artists. This event was a showcase of his career as a contemporary artist.
- Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, CA 94607. Pete and his band have played many shows in the Bay. The famous jazz venue Yoshi’s in Oakland is dear to him; he even celebrated birthdays here. As one of the only jazz bars in Oakland, this venue is a special place for jazz artists.
~ by Mariah Brown ~
External Links:
Pete Escovedo’s website: https://peteescovedo.com/. Accessed 1 Nov. 2019.
Yanow, Scott. “Artist Biography by Scott Yanow.” AllMusic, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/pete-escovedo-mn0000840760/biography. Accessed 1 Nov. 2019.
https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/artists/1704/pete-escovedo
http://www.innovativepercussion.com/artists/pete_escovedo
