The St. Louis-based Funky Butt Brass Band’s fourth studio album is one of the most diverse contributions to a genre that has continued to diversify since the Dirty Dozen included Danny Barker, Dave Bartholomew, Eddie Bo and Elvis Costello on their 1989 recording The New Orleans Album.

Though Onward doesn’t feature any guests of that caliber, it veers all over the place from perpetually groovy originals to inventive arrangements of covers that stretch the definition of brass band music all over the map. Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Run for the Jungle” and Prince’s “Cream,” two of the four covers on the album, are hardly recognizable from the original version upon first listen.

The album does include a number of special guests, including pedal steel master Roosevelt Collier on a rocking original “Burn” and well-known gospel and jazz vocalist Anita Jackson on a cover of Danny and Blue Lu Barker’s “Don’t You Feel My Leg” that’s even bawdier than the original.

The Latin feel of “El Ninõ Bonito” features strong percussion work and is about as infectious a composition as one could imagine outside of the islands. Sousaphonist and trombonist Cody Henry wrote the cut and he percolates throughout while trumpeter Adam Hucke hits the high notes. Henry also takes a very impressive solo.

Half way through the album comes “Elizabeth.” The song starts with an acoustic guitar and the pop vocal stylings of guitarist and vocalist Tim Halpin. It’s a sweet love song to his wife with wonderfully expressive words. At just over two and half minutes, it’s the shortest cut on the album but breaks up the high energy brass like a live set interlude allows the dancers to take a breather.

Though not from New Orleans, the band has clearly done their homework and does the brass band genre proud.