Perhaps the only thing that isn't surprising about "Spirit Moves," the new album from Dave Douglas and Brass Ecstasy, is that it's full of tasty surprises. You'll know that right off from the first cut, an inspired arrangement of Rufus Wainwright's "This Love Affair" that immediately evokes the sounds of a New Orleans jazz funeral. The album's highlights are the three compositions honoring trumpeters Lester Bowie, Enrico Rava and Fats Navarro, each piece honoring the style of the other trumpet greats while demonstrating Douglas' singular creativity. Otis Redding's "Mister Pitiful" is a joyful mashup of '60s soul, '70s funk and anything else Douglas and company feel like tossing in. This is very much an ensemble success, with superb contributions by Vincent Chancey on French horn, Luis Bonilla on trombone, Marcus Rojas on tuba and Nasheet Waits on drums.

© 2009 Hearst Communications Inc.