The Orchestre National de Jazz’s latest album The Party (Jazz Village) to be released in January is a big Eurojazz highlight of the early part of 2014 as a quick listen to this playful version of ‘Requiem pour un con’ here strongly suggests. Under the artistic direction of Daniel Yvinec, his last in charge of the ONJ before Oliver Benoit takes over and the band changes personnel, with composition and arrangements by Yvinec and NYC producer/arranger Michael Leonhart, the orchestra, whose previous projects under different musical directors have included an inspired take on the music of Robert Wyatt, and a Grammy-nominated collaboration with John Hollenbeck, features a 10-piece band with Eve Risser on piano, electric harpsichord and flute, reeds player Antonin Tri-Hoang, bassist Sylvain Daniel, and drummer Yoann Serra among its number. Besides the inspired take on Gainsbourg here and a bunch of Leonhart/Yvinec songs, there’s also music by Johnny Otis Jr, Henry Mancini and David Byrne featured on The Party.