The past associations of saxophonist John Ellis resonate on Dance Like There's No Tomorrow, which is imbued with the skewed humor and raucous energy of Charlie Hunter and the impeccable musicianship and Crescent City leanings of Ellis Marsalis. But Ellis himself deserves enormous credit for assembling the strikingly original instrumentation of Double Wide — from the oom-pah rumble-splat of Matt Perrine's sousaphone to the ballpark whirly of Gary Versace's organ — and then writing tunes with such evocative but apt titles as "Three-Legged Tango in Jackson Square" and "Zydeco Clowns on the Lam." Right from the opening strains of "All Up in the Aisles," with funky tambourine joining the Perrine's low notes and Versace's melodic glaze, you don't know whether you're at a sporting event, street fair or hip funeral, but smiles are nonetheless the only proper response. Likewise, "Three-Legged Tango" feels like a silent-movie soundtrack for Three's Company's John Ritter, and "Clowns," with Versace moving to accordion, is hell on wheels — probably unicycles.

The prevailing hijinks make the trio of slower, more balladic tunes — "I Miss You Molly," "Tattooed Teen Waltzes with Grandma" and "Prom Song" — akin to anti-comic relief. Versace steals the emotional show… read more »