Search - Sheila E, E-Train :: Writes of Passage

Sheila E Takes It Back to Jazz

Brett D. Cullum | Houston, TX United States | 11/14/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Sheila E was first and foremost a jazz artist when she began her career as Sheila Escovedo, a drummer in her family band. Here she returns to her roots, and eschews the sexy lingere clad funk songstress that she was in her Prince days to emerge as a serious musician. Most of the tracks are instrumentals except two. "N PERFECT TIME" is a spiritual song with vocals by Sheila, and then her brother takes lead vocals on the song "Rite to Paradise". It would be a perfect album if you want some light jazz to unwind to. It is not in any way related to "THE GLAMOROUS LIFE". Artists grow, and this is a new avenue for Sheila's talent. The music is all solid, and it sounds great! But remember this is a jazz record, and Prince has nothing to do with it. Though I am sure he would approve! I love Sheila, and this is a great addition to any collection."

Review from a not-quite Fan of Jazz

Jose Hermosillo | Paramount, CA United States | 02/14/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Sheila shows that she has a wider range of style than is probably expected of her. I bought this album knowing it was jazz, even though I am not a big fan of that genre. My first thought was "Sheila E. doing jazz?? That's interesting". I gotta tell you, I was pleasantly surprised. She seems just as comfortable on this album as any of her other releases. I feel she maintains the quality I have come to expect from her, even if her last albums did not sell as well as her first two. She sets a relaxing mood with her smooth latin jazz sound, but in no way is her album "boring". I would recommend this album be put on when you want to relax, but still "get your groove on"!!"

Sheila E's latin jazz comeback album

atv2k | 02/07/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"After her 1991's "Sex Cymbal" I promised myself to never get another Sheila E's album... I broke this promise after I listened to some tracks on this new release. With "Writes of Passages", Sheila E comes back to her first love, the latin jazz-fusion music played by Azteca, a band led by her father, percussionist Pete Escovedo. Before she became a solo artist in 1984, she played as a drummer in this band and also in two more Escovedo's solo albums.Trying a little bit of everything, Sheila E became one of Prince's most loyal player, joining him in 1987's project "Sign O' The Times". Since then, she released two top charting albums, some other works that didn't have the commercial impact of her Eighties' records, she played on Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston's duet "When you believe" and finally join E-Train to release "Writes of Passage".E-Train features percussionist Peter Michael Escovedo (is he his father? Probably), keyboardist Renato Neto, bassist Marc Van Wageningen, and saxophonist/flutist Eric Leeds, the latter being sometimes too present on this record, made of mixed Latin influences and mainstream jazz harmonies. Sheila E did not forget how to sing and she shows it in "N Perfect Time", swinging a soul groove which turns the borderline between latin-jazz and pure soul to its thinnest. Other highlights include excellent "Passin Through", "Truth" and the name-says-it-all "Virtuosity."Overall, this is a good album, but it lacks of experimentalism, and sometimes it is not original at all, even though the concept surrounding the train movement could suggest that "Writes of Passage" is a concept album. Well, it rather sounds like a movie soundtrack sometimes, but it's always very enjoyable.Tracks list
(not yet available on Amazon.com when publishing this review):

01. Trainacomin'
02. Paragon (Sheila E / Escovedo / Neto / Leeds / Van Wageningen) - 4:20
03. Rituals (Neto) - 4:24
04. Passing Through (Sheila E / Escovedo / Neto) - 6:09
05. N Perfect Time (Sheila E / Neto) - 5:03
06. Protocol (Obiedo) - 5:09
07. Writes of Passage (Leeds) - 4:35
08. Truth (Neto) - 4:44
09. Rite to Paradise (Escovedo) - 4:03
10. Virtuosity (Van Wageningen) - 4:40
11. Trainagoin'
"