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Traveling Mercies

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Traveling Mercies
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 17, 2002
RecordedJanuary 27–29, 2002
VenueAvatar, New York City
GenreJazz
Length64:02
LabelVerve
SCC 3034
ProducerJason Olaine, Chris Potter
Chris Potter chronology
Gratitude
(2001)
Traveling Mercies
(2002)
Lift: Live at the Village Vanguard
(2004)

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.

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
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

[edit]

All compositions by Chris Potter except where indicated

  1. "Megalopolis" – 7:00
  2. "Snake Oil" – 6:04
  3. "Invisible Man" – 5:08
  4. "Washed Ashore" – 7:07
  5. "Children Go" (Traditional) – 5:37
  6. "Any Moment Now" – 5:21
  7. "Migrations" – 8:06
  8. "Azalea" – 5:50
  9. "Highway One" – 10:12
  10. "Just as I Am" (Charlotte Elliott) – 3:37

Personnel

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Chris Potter Leader Discography. Retrieved January 9, 2017
  2. ^ a b Adler, David R.. Chris Potter – Traveling Mercies: Review at AllMusic. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Turner, M. F. All About Jazz Review, September 18, 2002
  4. ^ a b Fordham, J. Guardian Review, November 23, 2002
  5. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1176. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  6. ^ Steinberg, A. JazzTimes Review, November 2002