Master percussionist Mike Dillon doesn’t need to worry about his music being branded and put in a categorical box. If it was, he’d jump right out of it and find another and another. A restless and energetic soul, Dillon, who leads his Punkadelick ensemble on vibraphone and marimba, teams up some with like-minded adventurers. Everyone on this ensemble’s release, Inflorescence, is a rhythm maker including Brian Haas on Fender Rhodes, piano, bass Moog and melodica; Nikki Glaspie on drums and vocals and Prophet 6 synthesizing conga and bongos.

The album is primarily instrumental and takes off on “Desert Monsoon,” with Glaspie’s non-lyrical vocals rising high until things get seriously funky—flowers and funk. Haas wrote this tune and penned four of the 10 offerings, with this song, like most of the material here, going through a bunch of incarnations.

Despite its title, Dillon’s “Apocalypse Daydream” owns an uplifting groove and as are many of his works touched with humorous asides. Another aspect heard on this tune and elsewhere is an unexpected ending that sometimes follows explosive crescendos. They bring a smile.

Glaspie, whose driving drums urge the music throughout, returns vocally on the closing number “Never Been to Paris” that remarkably, after nine rather riotous cuts, is performed in waltz time. Dillon‘s melodic vibes create musical visions of strolling the streets of Paris.

Ultimately Inflorescence relies on the talent, imagination and often quirky creativity of Mike Dillon plus this crew of willing to go anywhere musicians.