The idea for this album should prompt a few red flags: A bunch of young-gun jazzmen (and guest trumpeter Christian Scott) cover material by Pearl Jam, Dido, Drake, Bon Iver and Jay-Z/Kanye West, among others. Pop covers by jazz artists are hardly a new concept, but this disc avoids the crossover pitfalls, with the arrangements as creative as the song choices—deep cuts outnumber actual hits here. And above all, it’s fun, with the arrangements dropping recognizable bits of the original versions before heading to parts unknown. Pearl Jam’s “Ocean” didn’t have a guitar solo; this version has one by Matthew Stevens that heightens the original’s contemplative mood. Bon Iver’s “Perth” retains nothing from the original other than the central guitar lick (here played on piano), but I’ll take Walter Smith’s tenor sax over Justin Vernon’s wounded voice anytime. Likewise, Jamire Williams’ lively groove on Dido’s “Thank You” easily tops the leaden drumming on the original.

The only problem is that there aren’t always enough great melodies in these tunes. A notable exception is Stereolab’s lovely “Refractions in the Plastic Pulse” (originally on that group’s best and most abstract album, Dots & Loops). The Next Collective plays just a section of the piece (the original is 19 minutes long) but retains its cool elegance, with Logan Richardson’s flute setting the stage for another strong solo by Stevens.