Finally some Press for the Family Jamm in the local paper Long Beach Press-Telegram...Enjoy

Royal Reunion
A concert of stars fit for a Prince

By Paul Andersen
Correspondent


In 1978, a musical breeze began blowing from an unlikely direction, Minneapolis, Minn., when a young wunderkind musician by the name of Prince Rogers Nelson quietly released his first album, titled "For You."

It was a totally self-contained effort. Going only by his first name, Prince wrote and arranged all the songs, played all the instruments and produced the record. It wasn't a huge hit, but it did introduce the world to a musical talent that over the coming decade would change the face of popular music with his fusion of pop, rock, soul, folk and funk.

By 1984, that breeze had become a gale force wind. "Purple Rain" ruled the airwaves, spending almost half the year at No. 1, and the movie that it accompanied made the young Minneapolis native a superstar. The ensuing tour with his band, the Revolution, was a sell-out worldwide, and it wasn't long before other Prince-produced bands were hitting the marketplace. The Time, the Family, Madhouse and Sheila E. all became proponents of what had become known as the Minneapolis Sound.

This Saturday at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, that Minnesota legacy will be celebrated at the First Annual Family Jamm! with the Revolution, Madhouse, the Family and core members of the Time all reuniting for the first time in nearly two decades. Sheila E.'s band from that era will re-form for the evening, and other Prince-related artists -- Apollonia, Jill Jones and Kat Dyson -- will also take part, as will Patti LaBelle and Chaka Khan, who have both had hits penned by Prince.

A benefit concert for the Lil Angel Bunny Foundation, a children's charity established by Sheila E. and her manager, Lynn Mabry, the proceeds will go toward the creation of the Compassion Care Center, which will provide recreation and education therapy through music and the arts to abused, abandoned and emotionally disturbed children.

S.H. RHYTHMIC TRADITION
The E. in Sheila's name stands for Escovedo, one of the more storied names in Latin music. Her father is Pete Escovedo, who, along with his late brother, Coke, helped bring Latin percussion to a wide audience through work with such groups as Santana and Azteca. It was with the latter band, led by her father, that Sheila made her professional debut at 15 -- on drums. She has two younger brothers who are also musicians.

"I can't imagine what life would be like without music,'' Sheila E. said in a telephone interview from her San Fernando Valley studio. "I just got back from playing a month in Japan with my dad, and it was a blast. I guess the family that drums together, stays together."

The Family Jamm concert came together through a suggestion at another family reunion, this one of musicians associated with Prince.

"We had done an event about a year and a half ago, and we decided that it was time to do another," Escovedo explained. "When we put the word out (to the musicians), everyone said, 'Of course, we" d love to do it.' We're all excited to see each other again -- some of us haven't seen each other in 10 to 15 years, much less play together, so it is going to be fun to return to this.

When Prince first discovered Sheila E. in 1983, she was working as a sidewoman, primarily on her father's projects. He produced her first album a year later, and the title song to "The Glamorous Life," which he wrote for her, was a top 10 hit. The next year she released "Romance 1600," which contained another hit single, "A Love Bizarre."

Initially touring as an opening act for Prince, she eventually joined his band for the 1987 Sign O the Times tour. She is now delving more in a jazz direction with gospel overtones, having released a pair of albums on the Concord Jazz label. She is also staying closer to home, working in her studio on soundtracks for movies and television, and served as musical director for Magic Johnson's talk show.

"I still do some of the songs, like 'Glamorous Life" and 'A Love Bizarre,' with my current band,'' she said. "I" ve probably done 287 different versions of them over the years, but not with the old band. It was pandemonium then, and all our lives are different now. But when I ask myself if I would do it all over again, I always say yes. It helped get me where I am now.

"In fact, I" m in the process of doing a whole other thing -- a pop/commercial record, along with a gospel album,'' she added, pointing to the fact that in many ways, she has come full circle.

S.H. ANOTHER FAMILY AFFAIR
The Family's Susannah Melvoin also comes from a musical family. Her father is Mike Melvoin, an A-list studio pianist/arranger who has also carved out a solid jazz career, while her twin sister is guitarist Wendy Melvoin, who, with her best friend, keyboardist Lisa Coleman, was an integral part of the Revolution.

When the Time broke up in 1984, three of its members -- drummer Jellybean Johnson, percussionist Jerome Benton and singer/keyboardist St. Paul Peterson -- formed a new group, the Family. Saxophonist Eric Leeds soon joined them, and Susannah was recruited to sing lead vocals. It didn't take long for the group to sign with Prince's Paisley Park label.

"The amazing thing is, we rehearsed together for six months and then did just one show before breaking up," Melvoin said. "It was a great album, and we were really despondent at the time, so I" m thrilled to get to do it again. We're finally going to play our second show, and I wouldn't be surprised if we land right on beat again. After all, when we were working together, it was a pretty intense time.

"Back then, it really was like family, because we all worked and sang on each other" s records, and that is how it will be Saturday night, with everyone backing everyone else up in this giant band.

"And anything we can do to make kids" lives better, then let's do it,'' Melvoin said. "I see all the stories about how kids, especially foster kids, are starved and neglected and I look at my daughter, and think, who could ever do this (abuse) to a child?

"Parents are an elite group, and I never thought about it until I became one. Now, when I see my own parents, I have a definite appreciation for all they" ve done for us. And I'm trying to catch up on the hugs and kisses, because I know I haven't visited them as much as I should have.

"Its funny," she laughed. "We all started playing when we were young. I guess this is our destiny, it" s in the DNA, a musical cocktail, there for the drinking.''

After years in the studio working with such artists as Quincy Jones, Seal, Madonna, Eric Clapton and B.B. King, Melvoin is writing and recording a new album with her husband, Texas rock guitarist Doyle Bramhall II. But Saturday night, it will be a return to the '80s, when the Minneapolis sound ruled the world.

"It will be different this time," she laughed again. "After all, we" re all grown up now, we're not 18-year-olds anymore. I can't hardly wait.''

Paul Anderson is a La Canada freelance writer.


http://u.presstelegram.co...72,00.html

love that image of Shelia!