Dave Rajewski

Paul Vornhagen: Joy of the Mambo

by Dan McClenaghan
March 25, 2026

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, ...