PACIFIC MAMBO ORCHESTRA

Cressman is a unique talent who is equally in demand as a trombonist and a sound engineer. Jeff is a native of San Francisco who began playing trombone in the same Berkeley Public School Jazz Project that encouraged such contemporaries as Peter Apfelbaum, Benny Green, and Joshua Redman.

 In 2000, Jeff began working with Carlos Santana, playing on the sold-out "Supernatural" tour with him in the U.S. and Europe, as well as world tours from 2002 to 2016. 

During his professional career, Jeff has performed a wide variety of musical styles, with such artists as Tito Puente, Poncho Sanchez, Carlos Santana, Israel "Cachao" Lopez, Pete Escovedo, Sheila E., Don Cherry, Peter Apfelbaum and the Hieroglyphics Ensemble, John Santos and the Machete Ensemble. Jon Jang, the Pan-Asian Arkestra, Jai Uttal, and the Pagan Love Orchestra. 

Mara Fox is a highly respected trombonist and educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 25 years of experience, she has enthralled audiences worldwide with her versatility across Jazz, R&B, Latin, and Classical genres.

Her career includes recording and touring internationally with the renowned Conjunto Cespedes and The Klezmorim. Locally, Mara collaborates with celebrated ensembles, including the Grammy Award-winning Pacific Mambo Orchestra (2013), The Purple Ones, The Montclair Women’s Big Band, and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.

She is also dedicated to sharing her passion for music through education, inspiring the next generation of young musicians.

Lead trombonist Derek James began playing with Pacific Mambo Orchestra upon its inception.

He performs with Mazacote, Avance, the Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, numerous local and touring bands of every genre, and on Broadway shows, giving him the well-deserved reputation of being a consummate all-rounder and highly regarded studio session player.

Derek was classically trained at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and played in the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, the Madison Symphony Orchestra, and the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra before moving to San Francisco in 1993. His first gig in his new town was with a salsa band, and he hasn’t stopped since.

James (Jamie) Dubberly, hailing originally from Brunswick, GA, has established a reputation as one of northern California's top trombonists, educators, and arrangers.

He currently serves on the faculties of the University of the Pacific's Conservatory of Music and California State University- Stanislaus as a lecturer.

As a trombonist, he has recorded and performed with a wide range of artists, including Sheila E., the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Luis Enrique, Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Emerson String Quartet, Bobby Caldwell, Chris Potter, The Temptations, La India, Johnny Mathis, Jon Faddis, Andy Montanéz, Michael Stuart, Greg Tardy, Fred Wesley, Lyrics Born, Wayne Wallace, Herman Olivera, Steve Davis, Frankie Vazquez, and Idina Menzel, among many others.

He has also worked with several touring orchestras for Broadway productions (U.S. and International). He has performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Playboy Jazz Festival, Tempo Latino ( France), San Jose Jazz Festival, Summerstage Festival ( Central Park, NYC), Stern Grove Festival (S.F.), Brubeck Festival, and in premier venues such as Yoshi's, S.F. Jazz Center, and the Blue Note (Napa). He has been a member of PMO since its inception. He can be seen frequently with Northern California groups such as the Josh Jones Latin Jazz Band, Candela, Cabanijazz Project, Kimbombo, Mazacote, Joe Mazzaferro Big Band, and the Greg Johnson Big Band, among others.