“This album,” so the liner notes to “The tales of Mother Goose” explain, “was composed with hazards, accidents, imprudence, pleasure, conflicts and synchronicities in midi programs and improvisations.”

Midi programs aside, that could describe the processes of jazz. But Les Poules of Montréal—Joane Hétu (saxophone), Diane Labrosse (keyboards) and Danielle Roger (percussion), all of whom also play in Wondeur Brass—are onto something else quite different and quite personal.

Theirs is a kind of kitchen music for the eighties, high-tech but everyday music, very new but very human — midi programs aside. They have ideas aplenty, but simple and effective ideas this time out closer in proportion (than has sometimes been the case with Wondeur Brass) to the musicians’ abilities to execute them. Rudimentary though many of the songs and instrumentals may seem, there’s no denying their passion, flair or imagination.