PUTNEY-The Bandwagon Summer Series continues its 2025 season with a celebration of Latin jazz as Mambo Jazz Party takes the stage on Saturday, Aug. 2, at 6 p.m., at Cooper Field, 41 Sand Hill Rd.
Led by trumpeter Jonathan Powell, the Mambo Jazz Party ensemble fuses the rhythms of salsa and mambo with the textures of modern electric jazz. With a two-decade career performing alongside Latin jazz icons such as Eddie Palmieri and Arturo O'Farrill, Powell "brings a masterful blend of experience, innovation, and irresistible energy," wrote organizers in a news release.
Inspired by a conversation with a bongocero (the Cuban name for a bongo player) during a masterclass, Powell built Mambo Jazz Party around the idea that music is "rooted in tradition but driven by celebration and spontaneity," organizers said. "The result is a performance that promises to get audiences moving and keep the spirit of the music alive long after the final note."
This performance is also part of Next Stage Arts' 15th anniversary celebration, and will honor two of its community "Champions" - Amelia Darrow and Kat McGraw, whose support has helped shape the organization into a cornerstone of southern Vermont's cultural landscape.
Tickets are $22 in advance, $25 at the gate, and kids under 12 are admitted free.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.