Artist description Mamborama plays smoking Cuban-style Latin Jazz. Although rooted in traditional Cuban rhythms, the group's tunes are definitely modern and very danceable. The band's first CD, "Night of the Living Mambo," has just recently been released and is getting airplay from LA to Miami and Puerto Rico. The CD features an all Cuban percussion section with Jimmy Branly, Nengue Hernandez and Alan Diaz. Former Ray Barretto/Tito Puente sideman Art Webb plays some blazing flute solos on three cuts, and violinista Suzie Hansen plays on two. Produce/songwriter/pianist Bill Wolfer traveled to Havana to study piano and the CD has a very authentic Cuban feel to it. This is fun party music. Crank it up and start dancing!

Music Style Latin Jazz

Musical Influences Cuban Timba and Salsa

Similar Artists According to percussionist Nengue Hernandez, "Man, nobody's playing Latin Jazz like this!"

Artist History Mamborama was started in 1999 by Grammy nominated songwriter and producer Bill Wolfer. Although his original intention was just to have a part time band for fun, the music took on a life of its own. In April of 2000, Wolfer went to Cuba and studied piano with Manolito Simonet (Manolito Y Su Trabuco)and Marcos Greco of Klimax. He spent several days hanging out in the legendary EGREM recording studio watching Simonet produce Trabuco, and at night he heard the best groups in Cuba: Paulito FG, NG La Banda, Charanga Habanera, Isaac Delgado, Manolito and more. After returning to the states, he took Mamborama into the studio and began recording "Night of the Living Mambo." For more info, please visit our web site at www.mamborama.com.

Group Members Bill Wolfer (Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson), piano; Alan Diaz (Sergio Mendez), Drums; Nengue Hernandez (Mongo Santamaria, Santana, Cachao), Congas and percussion; Jimmy Branly (NG La Banda, Isaac Delgado, Gonzalo Rubalcaba), Timbales; John Gronberg, trumpet; Rod Kokolj, tenor sax/flute; Bill Saitta, bass. Guest artists on the CD: Art Webb, (Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Johhny Palanco), flute; Suzie Hansen, violin; Luis Eric (Cachao), trumpet

Instruments Trumpet, tenor sax, flute, piano, congas, timbales, drums, bass

Albums Night of the Living Mambo

Press Reviews Descarga.com By Bruce Polin. Editor’s Pick: Here is a no-nonsense, helluva lotta fun, get up and dance, mambo-jazz release from this west-coast band which includes some of our favorite players like flautist Arty Webb and violinista Susie Hansen. Excellent compositions by pianist Bill Wolfer. Picadillo.com By Bruce Ishikawa. California pianist Bill Wolfer diverted from the pop songwriting roots which earned him a Grammy nomination to fool around with Latin music. He started out part time, “just for fun” and got hooked. He travelled to Cuba to study with Manolito Simonet and Marcos Greco of Klimax, then once he had put together enough tunes he went into an LA studio to record “Night of the Living Mambo”. The striking thing about this album is that there are no lead vocals. There is a coro on many tunes, but horns play the lead lines. Wolfer calls this a “Latin jazz” group, but what the listener hears sounds like nearly pure Cuban music. The sound was “Cubanized” when Wolfer brought in an all-Cuban percussion section of conguero Nengue Hernandez, timbalero Jimmy Branley and drummer Alan Diaz. Rounding out the core band are Bill Saitta on Bass, Ron Kokolj on woodwinds, John Gronberg and Luis Eric blowing trumpets and Wolfer driving the piano. Flautist Art Webb and our friend Suzy Hansen on that smokin’ violin make guest appearances on several tunes. “Night of the Living Mambo” is a fine example of what someone with a bit of imagination can do to inject new life into fairly traditional musical forms to come up with something special that no one has heard before.

Location Palm Springs, California - USA

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).