Skala

2011’s *Skala* is the follow-up to Norwegian trumpeter and composer Mathias Eick’s fine ECM debut, *The Door*. It’s a logical extension of that album but the sound is bigger here; the use of a pair of drummers — Torstein Lofthus and Gard Nilssen — on several tracks is particularly striking. Eick’s compositions can have the succinctness, melodicism, and vibe of pop instrumentals. “Edinburgh” features Eick’s carefully etched horn line backed by Andreas Ulvo’s piano, Audun Erlien’s bass, and the swirl created by the two drummers. On “June,” Eick, Ulvo, and harpist Sidsel Walstad play a piece for trio, while “Oslo” moves from ambient to funk. (On the latter cut, the two drummers are split into left and right channels, adding a nice touch.) Morten Qvenild’s keyboards enrich the title track’s lush, melancholy sound, which serves as a backdrop for Tore Brunborg’s tenor saxophone. Brunborg returns for “Day After,” joining Eick to play an interesting horn chart over a steady beat. The energetic “Epilogue” finds Eick on trumpet, vibraphone, and bass, as he bids the listener adieu.