Mette Henriette: Drifting

Dreamlike in construction and execution, Norwegian saxophonist Mette Henriette's second distinctive statement for ECM exudes a warm, innate ability to imbue the everyday and the invisible with a sense of calm that neither sedates nor fatigues. A quiet triumph, Drifting fashions fifteen soft, safe places for her wandering kin to take their rest.

Akin in lineage to her wide ranging, two disc debut, Mette Henriette, (ECM, 2009), Drifting takes the concept from thirteen players to a trio and disarms you (as does its predecessor) not by flash or muscle but by a vulnerability we all possess but rarely allow to lead us. Henriette, along with pianist Johan Lindvalland the captivating sonorousness of Judith Hamann's cello, shy not from that potential for a peaceful alternate to the daily chase and invite us to inhabit it with them.

Delicately yet decisively balancing on the blurry edge of esoteric chamber jazz and program music, Henriette's motives are clear as the trio instills Drifting with a quiet power of renewal. Paced by no pace, the music curls around from everywhere at once. Like late spring breezes, it is a welcome feeling.

Perhaps it is "I villvind" that catches the attention first. Lindvall's rolling arpeggios giving flight to Henriette's exultant voice. Though barely two minutes long, "Across the Floor" positions itself as a waltzing, interpretive dance as the pianist sets the scene, grounding Hamann's earthy yet ethereal bowing and Henriette's breathy exposition. Similar in time to "Across the Floor," "Chassé" creates another interwoven whole.

With bold, arching strokes, Hamann holds the title track, allowing Henriette to meander between the boundless tonalities of her emotional improvisations. Drifting's lengthiest track, "Oversoar" is a totally selfless piece, as each actively aware participant responds to the moment with confirmation and consort. Back to back, "Rue du Renard" and "Indrifting You" romance the soft light of the golden hour, bringing things into focus as they retreat from view. Exploring timbre and tone, "Solsnu" finds Hamann creaking nightmarishly while "A Choo," carried by another of Lindvall's insistent themes, becomes its own meditation, as does the contemplative whole of Drifting.

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