by Jim NewsomFor their fourteenth album as a band, the Yellowjackets announced the desire to go in a different direction from their previous outings. The difference on Club Nocturne is the inclusion of four vocal tracks. Fortunately, there is no difference here in the high level of musicianship and compositional quality long associated with this quartet. In fact, Club Nocturne is very much of a piece with its immediate predecessors, Dreamland and Blue Hats. "Spirit of the West" and "Stick_to_it_ive_ness" kick the CD off in a buoyant mood, emphasizing Russell Ferrante's inventive songwriting, Jimmy Haslip's nimble-fingered, melodic basswork, and Bob Mintzer's soprano saxophone mastery. The groove is solid, unmistakably Yellowjackets. Track three, the ultra-funky "Up From New Orleans," is a diversion for the band only because it features Kurt Elling singing Mintzer's homage to the Crescent City. The music itself is pure Mintzer-Yellowjackets, f...