has garnered critical praise for her ability to deconstruct familiar tunes and turn them into something new and unique. On her fifth album, she continues to do so with a well-chosen program of ; but whether her reconstructed versions of these classic songs are improvements on the originals is an open question. It's not just that she takes melodic liberties; what can be off-putting is her tendency to flatten melodic shapes and deliver the tunes in a sing-songy, declamatory style that occasionally makes it sound as if she simply doesn't know the tune and is wandering around trying to find the melody. This is clearly not actually the case, but it's too often the effect. Her renditions of the and the composition suffer especially from that tendency. On the other hand, her scat arrangement of is brilliant, and she gives the 1960s hit a wonderfully quirky and gentle treatment. Her strutting delivery on ends the program in style. Throughout the album, her band (which is centered around pianist and the great bassist ) plays with effortless accuracy and crackling energy, even on the . Recommended overall, though 's approach will be an acquired taste for some. ~ Rick Anderson