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John Ellis & Double Wide: Puppet Mischief

_ObliqSound _

With a tuba driving a rarefied small horn section, saxophonist John Ellis is definitely up to no good with Puppet Mischief, the band’s second release. It’s brass band swing circa 1910 in 2010, New Orleans style, both dating and bringing up to date the sound of the playful small-group jazz ensemble. Add special guest Gregoire Maret on harmonica and organist Brian Coogan, along with drummer Jason Marsali, sousaphone player Matt Perrine and trombonist Alan Ferber, and this nine-track set is altogether past, present and future. Not just jazz, songs like “Okra & Tomatoes” and “Fauxfessor” sound more like soundtracks to wacky movies about street scenes, with their unique orchestration and sly humor. Ellis’ band is tight, with snappy arrangements such as the intricate, circus-y title track, the searching, almost mournful “Chorale” or the old-timey swing of “This Too Shall Pass.”