John Ellis recently ended a five-year stint in guitarist Charlie Hunter’s popular trio, and now he’s concentrating on leading his own band and developing his personal style. He is an endlessly inventive jazz musician. On By a Thread he jumps between tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet and ocarina — a Peruvian wind instrument — and never seems to repeat a riff.

Ellis’ skill, however, can occasionally make him sound too clever, too slick. The rhythm section feels stiff when it tackles more straight-ahead jazz numbers. On the slower tracks, such as “Little Giggles,” the group verges dangerously close to playing smooth jazz at a fast tempo. Even in the least soulful moments, though, pianist Aaron Goldberg, a veteran of Joshua Redman’s quartet, always adds a warm touch.

Ellis and the group are most in their element when the groove turns funky and danceable. The menacing grind of “Tall Drink of Water” gives the soloists space to stretch out before the song dissolves into a skittering high-tech motif from guitarist Mike Moreno. An echoing, Latin-like beat propels “Lonnie.” The funky rave-up “Moore’s Alphabet,” a tribute to Galactic drummer Stanton Moore, closes the album with a burst of energy. With a funkier beat behind him, Ellis sounds less like a technician. He relaxes, becomes playful and blows a tougher horn. Let’s hope that Ellis continues to lend his horn to funky grooves.