The veteran San Diego singer and her ace band will perform Mitchell's 1979 album, 'Mingus,' in its entirety Saturday at Dizzy's.

When Robin Adler and Dave Blackburn began performing their annual Joni Mitchell tribute concerts 9 years ago, their goal was to honor one of the singular singer-songwriters of our time.

On Saturday, they will continue that tradition at the all-ages Dizzy's (ticket information appears at the conclusion of this article). There, at the all-ages Pacific Beach music venue, they will perform "Mingus," one of Mitchell's most daring and revelatory albums, in its entirety. The album includes "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," a 1959 Charles Mingus classic, which Mitchell set words to that lovingly paid homage to its composer.

A landmark 1979 album, "Mingus" was the first and only collaboration between Mitchel and jazz giant Mingus, the visionary composer, arranger and band leader who died the same year the album came out. "Mingus" also featured piano great Herbie Hancock and three-quarters of the band Weather Report - saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bassist Jaco Pastorius and drummer Peter Erskine.

As such, it is likely the most challenging Mitchell album Adler and her husband, guitarist Blackburn, have tackled yet. But they seem up to the task. So does their stellar San Diego band, which features saxophonist Tripp Sprague, bassist Rob Thorsen, drummer Duncan Moore and piano sensation Joshua White, who has earned praise from Hancock for his bold, incisive playing.

"It was kind of amazing," Blackburn said, "that a jazz legend, like Mingus, would contact somebody who was considered a 'folk singer' -- although she wasn't really -- in the mind of the public in the 1960s. She wasn't sure she was ready for that (artistic) level; she described herself as having 'dipped her toe into jazz,' prior to 1979. But she had an ego and wilpower that can carry her into anything. And she had the support of Wayne and Jaco, and they brought in Herbie and Peter Erskine."

Even so, Adler maintains covering the "Mingus" album live is not dramatically more difficult than some of the other Mitchell albums she and Blackburn have tackled with their band.

"(Mitchell's 1972) 'For the Roses' album, which we took on a couple of years ago, was equally difficult," Adler said.

"You'd think, because of the angular melodies, ('Mingus') would be more (difficult). It was challenging, I will say, and it's always challenging memorizing all the lyrics. But my background is (in) jazz, so I wasn't so intimidated taking it on."

"The character of this band is not to mimic and don wigs," noted Blackburn, who has transcribed the music for entire Mitchell albums for her website, jonimitchell.com.

"The point is to try to honor the work of this great composer. And we regard Joni as one of the great living composers... We're not trying to sound just like Joni or her records. But we are trying to capture the flavor of what those records are about."

Adler nodded.

"It happens to be a good fit for me vocally... We're not really re-inventing these albums. Like Dave said, we're honoring them, but not completely rearranging them. Because, (with) a lot of our audience members, there's a certain familiarity they like... People will say: 'We love what you did, but you did it your way."

Robin Adler, Dave Blackburn & Mutts of the Plant perform Joni Mitchell's "Mingus"
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Dizzy's (inside San Diego Jet Ski Rentals) 4275 Mission Bay Drive, Pacific Beach
Tickets: $20 (all ages)
Phone: (858) 270-7467