In the years that passed between the OWL Trio’s eponymous debut, its sophomore outing (Arts and Letters) and the 2022 release Life of the Party, the musical and personal bonds between bassist Orlando le Fleming (“O”), alto saxophonist Will Vinson (“W”) and guitarist Lage Lund (“L”) grew even deeper. But something else happened: an encounter with star vocalist Kurt Elling, who turned up one night at a Brooklyn gig and got the itch to collaborate. The result is a substantial guest spot for Elling on the Lund original “Life of the Party” and the Vinson/Elling co-creation “Perfectly Out of Place”. Elling’s laidback delivery suits the mood of the trio, particularly the loping waltz feel of Lund’s piece (with lyrics by Lund’s wife and a spoken-word break interpolating Gregory Corso’s poem “I Met This Guy Who Died”, an inspired touch). Along with three Songbook standards, the set includes le Fleming’s “Struggle Session” and “Wistful Thinking”, Vinson’s “French Song” and Lund’s “Melanchollie Willage”, with elevated performances and arrangements throughout.