What can you say about a five-piece dance band that sticks to the pop classics? A band you might hear in the background at a friend’s wedding or on an evening riverboat cruise? Not a whole lot unless they really shine and veteran New Orleans drummer/vocalist Sullivan Dabney and his quintet do exactly that. With Michael Pierce on clarinet and saxes, Joseph Saullsbury on tenor and alto saxes, Richard Payne on bass and Raymond “Ray Jay” Jones on piano, Dabney lays down 14 classics and puts a fresh coat of polish on them. They include some of my own personal favorites—“Time After Time,” “Pennies From Heaven” and “These Foolish Things” as well as other standards like “Side By Side,” “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Fly Me to the Moon” and eight others. Nearly all of the cuts are treated to jazzy, non-dated-sounding renditions that give the reeds and keyboards ample opportunities to solo, and these guys really wail! They compliment each other perfectly and keep their sound tight yet free-flowing. After a few bars, “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” loses its familiar melody and morphs into a lively, up-tempo showcase for nearly all the instruments. And, after cycling this CD a few times, I knew I would infinitely rather listen to Dabney crooning “It Had to Be You” than you-know-who. His voice has great range, control and fluidity. When he ends “Pennies” and “These Foolish Things” on high, falsetto notes, the transition comes effortlessly. “My Way” comes off a little sluggishly and it drags a bit, like a funeral dirge but it’s the only blotch on the record. Everything else is first rate. A definite keeper.