The big voice of Luther Kent, one-time member of Blood Sweat & Tears and longtime fixture on the Crescent City scene, fronts this outing by the Dukes of Dixieland on Mardi Gras and New Orleans R&B classics. The Dukes surprisingly abandon the traditional jazz the band is known for in favor of modern horn arrangements on tunes like “Mardi Gras Mambo (Iko Iko)” and at the start of “Saints (Street Beat).” “While We Danced at the Mardi Gras” is given big band treatment with horn sections filled out with guests artists including the late trombonist Brian O’Neill, to whom the disc is dedicated and who produced it along with leader/drummer Richard Taylor and saxophonist/guitarist Charles Brent. Some of this material works out okay for the Kent and the Dukes, who, after all, know about the spirit of the season. On the other hand, some cuts, lose their true character altogether, “New Suit” being the most obvious example. Even with Kent at the helm, few would imagine the Dukes of Dixieland straying so far from their traditional jazz turf, and the wandering could disappoint fans.