Traveling Mercies is the ninth studio album by jazz saxophonist Chris Potter released on the Verve label in 2002.[1] It features keyboardist Kevin Hays, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Bill Stewart, along with guitarists John Scofield and Adam Rogers guesting separately on seven of the ten tracks.
| Traveling Mercies | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 17, 2002 | |||
| Recorded | January 27–29, 2002 | |||
| Venue | Avatar, New York City | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 64:02 | |||
| Label | Verve SCC 3034 | |||
| Producer | Jason Olaine, Chris Potter | |||
| Chris Potter chronology | ||||
| ||||
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| All About Jazz | [3] |
| The Guardian | [4] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [5] |
The Allmusic review by David R. Adler awarded the album 4 stars stating "Chris Potter gets more and more adventurous. On this follow-up to the strong Gratitude, the tenor and soprano saxophonist beefs up strong writing and heady group interplay with occasional sampled sounds and miscellaneous textures like clavinet and reed organ ... As a jazz record, Traveling Mercies is very much a product of its post-millennial times, but it still comes across as highly individual. Its value will be lasting".[2]
All About Jazz correspondent Mark F. Turner observed "Potter possesses a strong tenor sound, which is throaty and deep with meaning, but it's a real treat to hear him on bass clarinet, flute, and odd instrumentation such as the reed organ. Combine this with exceptional compositional skills, and choice musicians; Traveling Mercies is a cut above the rest".[3]
Not all reviews were as enthusiastic. In The Guardian, John Fordham wrote "Plenty of virtuosity, but it doesn't really do Chris Potter's obvious musicality justice".[4] JazzTimes' writer Aaron Steinberg said "despite some fine playing by Potter, Traveling Mercies’ attempts to sound eclectic and vibrant end up sounding calculated and cautious. At this point, Potter fronting a band with quick reflexes on daring material, minus concept and gimmicks, would be more than welcome"[6]
Track listing
editAll compositions by Chris Potter except where indicated
- "Megalopolis" – 7:00
- "Snake Oil" – 6:04
- "Invisible Man" – 5:08
- "Washed Ashore" – 7:07
- "Children Go" (Traditional) – 5:37
- "Any Moment Now" – 5:21
- "Migrations" – 8:06
- "Azalea" – 5:50
- "Highway One" – 10:12
- "Just as I Am" (Charlotte Elliott) – 3:37
Personnel
edit- Chris Potter – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto flute, bass clarinet, reed organ, clavinet, sampler, percussion, voice
- John Scofield − guitar (tracks 1, 4 & 7)
- Adam Rogers (tracks 6 & 9) − acoustic guitar, slide guitar (tracks 3 & 8)
- Kevin Hays – piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet
- Scott Colley − bass
- Bill Stewart – drums
References
edit- ^ Chris Potter Leader Discography. Retrieved January 9, 2017
- ^ a b Adler, David R.. Chris Potter – Traveling Mercies: Review at AllMusic. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ a b Turner, M. F. All About Jazz Review, September 18, 2002
- ^ a b Fordham, J. Guardian Review, November 23, 2002
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1176. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^ Steinberg, A. JazzTimes Review, November 2002