Moon at the Window

One of the most talented female performers in modern jazz, the versatile pianist Rachel Z has happy ants in her pants, doing everything in her career from bebop to pure jazz-pop and now this colorful tribute to the songwriting artistry of Joni Mitchell. Bassist Patricia Des Lauriers and drummer Bobbie Rae complement her lively, artful, and mostly percussive interpretations of such familiar classics as "Big Yellow Taxi" and more obscure but no less melodic and infectious gems like "Carey." There's a smooth, poppy sheen to those tracks, but the pianist goes a little more experimental on "Ladies Man," mixing hardcore swinging with slower, swaying passages — challenging the girls to keep up. Perfectly in line with Z's own deep spirituality is the esoteric mysticism she brings to "Chinese Cafe" and "River." In line with its theme of escape from responsibilities, "Free Man in Paris" is given a jumpy funk treatment with a thick, hopping drum groove. The most fun part of this experience is trying to guess what her approach will be from tune to tune, and she's certainly full of surprises when it comes to arrangements and ambience. But that overall unpredictability is Z's glorious trademark, so in essence, each recording can't help but feature the unexpected.