During her 20-year stint in the Kronos Quartet, cellist Joan Jeanrenaud blazed countless musical trails, in the process leaving her mark on new works by countless grateful composers. After resigning from the group in 1999, she embarked on a journey of self-discovery—initially through improvisation, alone and with artists such as guitarist Fred Frith and koto player Miya Masaoka, and now as a composer.

Strange Toys, Jeanrenaud’s first collection of her own works, bears the mark of hands-on experimentation. That’s not to suggest no premeditation went into these 14 pieces, composed from 2001 to 2007. On the contrary, each is a perfectly sculpted gem of mood, poise and concision. But Jeanrenaud’s music doesn’t make a mystery of its improvised roots; in most of her pieces, the process of construction is laid bare. Axis, for instance, loops a bouncy, echoing rhythm line, over which Jeanrenaud layers a tawny, rumbling low melody, then a soaring high one.

Thanks to her penchant for looping, Jeanrenaud sounds like a team player even when she goes it alone. She’s also happy to feature friends: Alex Kelly takes the lead in Transition, a warm, fuzzy quartet for two cellists and two viola da gamba players. Elsewhere, percussionist William Winant and multi-instrumentalist Paul Dresher make valuable contributions. And pc muñoz, the producer responsible for the disc’s rich, detailed sound, provides electronic beats in Kaleidoscope, a quirky, catchy delight.