Norwegian composer and accordionist Frode Haltli came up through folk forms, but crossed into jazz and contemporary classical music. His ECM debut, Looking into Darkness, was an award-winner, and he played a major role in saxophonist Trygve Seim's wondering, hymnal, slowly exhilaratory tone poems. Passing Images has something of Seim's feel to it, with Haltli joined by trumpet star Arve Henriksen, plus singer Maja Ratjke and Scottish/Irish viola-player Garth Knox. The music is reticently beautiful, with lyrical folk-ballads often spliced with improv or minimalist interludes. Henriksen's vocalised and flute-like trumpet sighs over rich accordion chords and the long highnotes of the viola and voice (Psalm); a lilting folk-ballad slides into a whimsically humming coda (The Letter); and there are passages of softly squealing improv. It's not a music for impatient listeners, but some of the sounds (particularly Henriksen's) are extraordinary.