E Music
San Francisco has one of the most diverse and creative music scenes anywhere, and Bay Area percussionist Pete Escovedo tours the city's musical neighborhoods and mixes it up with his brand of Latin jazz onE Music. There's the funk of trumpeterRay Vega's smoking "Miles Away"; the unmistakable smooth-jazz sound of guitaristRay Obiedoon his "La Samba"; and San Francisco favorite sonGeorge Duke's look at "Setembro," a tune made immensely popular byQuincy JonesandTake Six. Escovedo even takes a turn at gospel singing on "Praise and Worship." The disc opens with a hot showcase for the band featured throughoutE Music, continues with well-sequenced, entertaining Latin jazz, and closes with a smoking drum piece. Showing the same broadly attractive qualities of Escovedo's many commercial successes,E Musicalso burns with a hotter jazz passion, much to the CD's benefit.--Mark Ruffin