By MARK BENOIT
The Press-Enterprise
Rock and jazz star Sheila E. may be heading into uncharted territory for her when she appears Saturday at the Rhythm on the Vine jazz festival in Temecula's wine country.
Other headliners at the festival are jazz legend Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Kirk Whalum and pianist Jim Brickman. The event is a benefit for Shriners Hospitals for Children -- Los Angeles.
After 35 years in the business and maintaining a very busy schedule, Sheila E. said she finds it hard to remember all the places she's been and even where she's supposed to be. She can't recall whether she's ever performed in the Wine Country before.
"Sometimes I don't even know where I'm going. They just tell me to show up. And I'm going, 'Oh, this is great. Have I been here before?' " she said in a phone interview.
She will appear as part of Sheila E. and the E Family, featuring Pete Escovedo, Juan Escovedo and Peter Michael Escovedo.
Playing with her father and her two brothers is something of a special treat for Sheila E., who has recently toured with some of her other projects in Europe and Japan.
Sheila E. and the E Family will be one of the headline acts Saturday at the Rhythm on the Vine jazz festival in Temecula.
"This is the first time in a very long time that we've been playing together a lot recently because we just finished our first CD as a family together," she said. The recording is done and the CD is in the mixing process, she said.
Sheila E., a drummer and singer who was part of Prince's band in the 1980s, said the family will perform some of the new songs from the CD and one or two of her dad's Latin jazz songs. But the set will be very spontaneous and fun, she said.
She does extensive charity work, but this is her first benefit for the Shriners hospitals and it's a cause that's dear to her.
"It's sad to see when kids are sick," she said.
Steven Brand, director of marketing and public relations for Shriners Hospitals for Children -- Los Angeles, said this is the hospital's first in-house fundraising event.
He said landing big names for the festival was something of a challenge.
"Not so much that they didn't want to do it, but just working around their schedules was a little bit difficult," he said via telephone.
The Los Angeles hospital is one of 19 Shriners facilities nationwide.
"We provide service free of charge to kids throughout the southwestern United States," Brand said.
RHYTHM ON THE VINE
When: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday
Where: South Coast Winery, 34843 Rancho California Road, Temecula
Entertainment: Saxophonist Kirk Whalum, 3 p.m.; pianist Jim Brickman, 4:45 p.m.; Sheila E. & the E Family, 6:45 p.m.; Herbie Hancock, 9 p.m.
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