Until sousaphonist and bassist Matt Perrine’s new record, nobody, and I mean nobody, needed to record the old warhorse “Muskrat Ramble” again. Been there done that a million times. But, as the light, dancing lilt of Stanton Moore’s drums push the new arrangement and Matt Rhody’s violin and Perrine’s sousaphone solos lead into a joyful, raucous return, the song that everyone knows sounds new again.

That is the attitude of the entire record. From the songs with simple instrumentation to the full-on 14 piece juggernauts, this record takes some of the traditional music of New Orleans and makes it sound reborn. Perrine’s take on the songs is to cast them as if New Orleans is even closer to the Caribbean than it already is. The music has energy and fun that stems from the syncopated rhythms of “Don’t Touch Me” and the great ensemble playing on songs by the Mighty Sparrow and Lord Kitchener. There’s even a great Mardi Gras Indian song that again shows the link between the Caribbean and the Crescent City via Carnival. To top it off, Perrine’s fellow musicians, too many to name, all come with their A game. So far, this could be the best new release by a New Orleans musician this year and it sets the bar high for everyone else.