New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint has the chops to play anything he wants. He is the one whose huge contributions as a composer and pianist helped define the sound of this city’s R&B heydays. On Going Places he challenges himself by taking a step into the world of jazz. With the inclusion of tunes such as “All These Things” and “Meter Head” and with most songs running three or four minutes as in pop formats, it’s obvious that Toussaint didn’t intend to fully immerse in the jazz scene. He and his compatible bandmates, bassist Chris Severin, guitarist Bill Solley and drummer Herman LeBeaux do, very successfully, transform “Ruler of My Heart,” solidly swinging the classic. Toussaint penned all but three of the tunes—both old favorites and new additions to his hefty songbook. LeBeaux contributes the romance of “Caleraville” that suits Toussaint’s sense of elegance and drama and shines the spotlight on Solley’s talents and his suitability as a partner in the musical dance. Toussaint puts on a piano display that boasts his signature stamp on his uptempo “Going Places.” His son, Clarence, offers the smooth “Is There Any Love Left for Us?” Production-wise, it is very frustrating that the short musical interludes are numbered separately on the disc jacket but are tagged on to other songs when they appear on a CD player thus throwing off most of the titles. Going Places puts Toussaint’s piano at center stage for an instrumental excursion that is most engaging when its jazz destination is in sight.