Norwegian saxophonist Mette Henriette Martedatter Rølvåg happened to find herself next to Manfred Eicher at a gig in Oslo one night and took the opportunity, as one always should on such occasions, to describe her musical project to the ECM head honcho. And the result? Well, this is her debut on the famous Munich label. The untitled work is a double CD, the first disc being a trio recording with cellist Katrine Schiøtt and pianist Johan Lindvall, the second a ‘sinfonietta’ with 13 players. Sometimes it’s oh-so- quiet, sometimes it’s satisfyingly, parpingly loud; at all times it’s atmospheric and richly detailed – this is ECM, after all. It’s abstract but tactile, with an emphasis on texture over melodic line. “I imagine scenes, or scents. It’s interesting to embody things like that in music. It’s more interesting than the obvious things, like focusing on scales”, explains the leader. ‘Late a la Carte’ has a noirish dramatic verve worthy of a Mingus band, though when she’s really letting rip Mette Henriette blows with the wild force of John Coltrane or Evan Parker. It’s an ambitious and engaging introduction, with powerful compositional and improvisational chops.