Given that jazz can easily slip into the realm of the too serious, the return of the Jazz Passengers with their gonzo attitude and slightly off-kilter tunes is to be celebrated. This is not to say that they are not serious musicians nor that they don’t take the music seriously, but they don’t take it too seriously. For example, the title track is a cover of the Peaches and Herb hit that starts with saxophonist Roy Nathanson speaking the lyrics before the other members switch off lines over an arrangement that would fit in on a recent Tom Waits record. In the same vein, “Button Up” has a strong backbeat and R&B-esque vocals complete with a Coasters-like bass vocal. Right when one thinks that this is a Was (Not Was) comeback record, the vibraphone sweeps in for a solo followed by alto saxophone/violin riffing.

Guests include Deborah Harry, Elvis Costello and guitarist Marc Ribot, who freaks out on their driving version of Radiohead’s “National Anthem.” Even with a layoff of over a decade, this record shows that the Jazz Passengers haven’t lost their sense of humor, group interplay, nor unique take on jazz music.