Tumbao Bravo with Paul Vornhagen: Joy of the Mambo

Dance music means a good time. The mambo, the cha cha, 'rhumba' and bolero beats challenge the feet to stay still, they challenge the butt to stay in the chair. The music is pure joy, and reed man Paul Vornhagen and his sextet, Tumbao Bravo, exploit that joy to the max on the fittingly titled Joy of the Mambo.

The tone is set with the opener "Firefly Mambo." It is a percolating stew of sound, smile-inducing and dance-friendly, with timbales and congas popping (Armando Vega and Olman Piedra, respectively), while the leader sweetens the air with his flute work. For those familiar with YouTube, a trip to the site—and typing in 'mambo'—reveals duos of colorfully garbed dancers grinning wide and displaying lively moves, people caught in the moment and celebrating with a happy gusto.

Tumbao Bravo is a sextet, featuring—besides Vornhagen's reeds and the previously mentioned percussionists—Dave Rajewski's hot trumpet and Kurt Schreitmueller's cool piano work. They present seven Vornhagen originals alongside Herbie Hancock's "Chan's Song," Patrick Prouty's "Theme for PVH," and Tadd Dameron's "On a Misty Night" in a live setting with a well-crafted and energetic elan.

Hancock's "Chan's Tune" takes things downtempo for a pensive interlude featuring smooth trumpet solo and intricate piano moments. "Rhumba Espiritu," a Vornhagen original, could serve as a soundtrack for a filming of a trip through a verdant jungle swaying in the gentle winds, while the closer, "Hey Pops," paints with bright colors with a locked-in group synergy, with the leader cooking on his soprano sax.

Joy of the Mambo. Joy of life.