Considering 's connection to ( ), some listeners might expect to be much more radical than it actually is. But then, the has never been about dogma or dictating that musicians have to sound a certain way; it has been about options. And on , opts for an inside/outside approach that is generally more inside than outside -- and for all its abstraction, intellect, and angularity, this 2008 date is fairly melodic. The acoustic quintet that leads on is billed as ; in contrast to her larger , this post-bop/avant-garde unit (mildly avant-garde instead of radically avant-garde) doesn't include any trumpet or sax. The only wind player is flutist , and her accompaniment includes on violin and viola, on cello, on upright bass, and on drums and percussion. and 's strings do a lot to shape the sound of 's quintet, which incorporates elements of Euro-classical chamber music but has strong African, Asian, and Middle Eastern influences as well. Occasionally, sings, bringing a bluesy soulfulness to But this 67-minute CD is mostly instrumental -- and while is a likable vocalist, the flute is her main vehicle for jazz expression. Many admirers of 's CD/DVD were no doubt hoping that the Chicago resident would follow that 2007 recording up with another date. But her group is equally impressive in its own right, and excellence prevails throughout the engrossing . ~ Alex Henderson