Following two intriguing albums with his group Nu Sanga [and as featured trumpeter on numerous albums by leading lights of Latin Jazz – Eddie Palmieri and his Latin Jazz Septet and Salsa Orchestra, Arturo O’ Farrill’s Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra – and Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society [to name a few], Jonathan Powell has lit a fire around which his Mambo Jazz Party gets under way.
Following two intriguing albums with his group Nu Sanga [and as featured trumpeter on numerous albums by leading lights of Latin Jazz – Eddie Palmieri and his Latin Jazz Septet and Salsa Orchestra, Arturo O’ Farrill’s Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra – and Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society [to name a few], Jonathan Powell has lit a fire around which his Mambo Jazz Party gets under way.
Mr Powell is also blessed in having such a scrupulously attentive rhythm section – pianists Axel Tosca and Manuel Valera, bassist Luques Curtis and a thunderous percussion section comprising Camilo Molina, Marcos López, Marcos Torres, and the inimitable Luisito Quintero – all of whom enable the rest of the celebrants at thus Mambo Jazz Party to dance their way to the stratosphere.
Tempi – clave and anything else that will ignite the rhythm – is uniformly well judged. Thus, it must be said that performers led by Mr Powell and his heavyweight band combine suppleness and purpose into quicksilver musical moments that eschew any suggestion of hectic flashiness.