BOB JAMES "PLAYIN' HOOKY" WARNER BROS.

What happens when a keyboardist well-known for recording mellow pop-jazz decides to chill out? Listening to Bob James's current release, "Playin' Hooky," you may find yourself suddenly overcome by the urge to check for his pulse.

Brimming with pastoral themes and pastel colors, the album could be construed as James's postcard from Walden Pond, a calming, contemplative collection of pop-jazz musings. It's largely background music from the backwoods, designed to evoke rustic settings and time spent quietly and leisurely away from the demands of everyday life. Helping James set the atmospheric mood are several pop-jazz pros, such as bassist Nathan East, saxophonist Boney James, trumpeter Rick Braun and guitarist Chuck Loeb, as well as the ghost of Chopin, whose Etude No. 3 in E, Op. 10, inspired James to compose the album's opening theme, "Playing With Fire."

A hint of Latin jazz and some routine funk beats are occasionally evident on "Fire," "Mind Games" and other tracks -- and the fine guitarist Fareed Haque sometimes manages to stand out in the easy listening mix. But like most mood music, "Playin' Hooky" has a seamless and ephemeral quality, allowing it to drift in and out of your consciousness without ever leaving an impression. Appearing Saturday and Sunday with Chris Botti at Blues Alley. To hear a free Sound Bite from Bob James, call Post-Haste at 202/334-9000 and press 8108. (Prince William residents, call 690-4110.) CAPTION: Mellow jazz pianist Bob James is even more laid-back than usual on the pastoral "Playin' Hooky."