Jonathan Powell & Tumbao Electric

About

Musical Style: Latin Jazz, Electric Jazz, Fusion What if Tito Puente had joined forces with Miles Davis during the electric period of the 70’s? Or if Squarepusher teamed up with modern percussion legend Pedrito Martinez? Trumpeter-composer Jonathan Powell’s new project, Tumbao Electric, lives in that electrified crossroads—where Afro-Caribbean groove meets boundary-pushing electronics. Drawing on 25 years in Latin jazz and salsa alongside a deep devotion to electronic sound design, Powell fuses tumbao, rumba, and salsa’s rhythmic fire with synth-driven textures, live sampling, and high-velocity improvisation. It’s a kinetic, dance-floor-ready laboratory: polyrhythms meet modular grit; brass shouts ride sub-bass; descarga energy surges through glitch and groove. Powell’s bona fides run deep: a veteran of Eddie Palmieri’s bands, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, he’s also a bandleader with a bold recorded arc—from the modern electric fusion of Transcend (2009) to the muscular modern jazz of Beacons of Light (2015) and the full-throttle Latin jazz journey Mambo Jazz Party (2024). Tumbao Electric is the next leap: a lifelong vision realized, igniting classic Afro-Latin rhythm with the voltage of the future. Jonathan Powell - trumpet, bass trumpet, EVI, FX, electronics Victor Mestas - key Kirwan Brown - electric bass