Named after the famed Mardi Gras train-engine parade float, singer/pianist
Harry Connick, Jr.
's funk-oriented 2013 studio album
Smokey Mary
coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Krewe of Orpheus, the Mardi Gras super krewe that
Connick
co-founded in 1993. Perhaps Mardi Gras puts
in a funky mood, because the year after founding Krewe of Orpheus,
delivered the funk, pop, and soul album
She
. Ever since
,
has, now and again, dabbled in funk. He's best at playing funk when he combines it with the more roiling, bluesy aspects of New Orleans jazz and a danceable groove, as on the organ-heavy opener "Smokey Mary Boogie Woogie Choo Choo Train," and the second-line, gospel-inflected number "S'posed to Be" featuring vocalist
Tara Alexander
. Elsewhere on
delves into a handful of original contemporary R&B-sounding numbers including "Wish I Were Him," "Dang You Pretty," and "Angola (At the Farm)." Helping bring out the album's high-energy party vibe is
's stellar backing ensemble, including such stand-out musicians as
Preservation Hall
trumpeter
Mark Braud
, trombonist
Lucien Barbarin
, saxophonist
Branford Marsalis
, and percussionist
Bill Summers
, among others. Ultimately,
will probably play like the passing parade float it is named after, a lot of colorful, shiny fun. ~ Matt Collar