The best way to approach this one is to forget everything you knew about how a pedal steel is supposed to sound, and how these songs are supposed to sound. Virtuoso player Dave Easley makes his solo album a time for exploration, finding new possibilities in a handful of jazz standards and a couple of classic rock ringers.

At times it sounds like he’s on six-string rather than steel, only using the more familiar sound of his instrument for effect: He plays hot on John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps,” which comes out sounding like Wes Montgomery sitting in with Asleep At the Wheel. The blending of Miles Davis’ “In a Silent Way” with Brian Wilson’s “In My Room” is completely solo and the loveliest thing here. He finds the songs’ common ground in their complimentary tunes, and in their shared mood of reflective isolation.

The quiet mood pervades much of this album, which doesn’t stop some low-key fireworks from happening. Dave Tranchina’s fluid double-bass work is particularly effective behind Easley’s solo flight on the Carla Bley piece “Jesus Maria,” and drummer Chad Taylor does some graceful work on brushes while Easley and Tranchina take the solo spotlight on Monk’s “Ruby My Dear.” Led Zeppelin’s “Battle of Evermore” allows Easley to play some fiery Jimmy Page-like slide, something Page doesn’t do on the acoustic original. Like the Zep recording, it’s a dialogue between him and keyboardist Cathlene Pineda, each expanding on the original tune while keeping Robert Plant and Sandy Denny’s vocal inflections in mind.