Search - Chris Potter :: Traveling Mercies

Mature Compositional and Improvisational Masterpiece!

Mike | New York, NY | 05/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Chris Potter has been a major voice in the current generation of jazz improvisers for some time. From his earliest recordings, it was evident that he also possessed a unique talent for composition as well. On "Traveling Mercies," Potter highlights the best of his musical abilities: improvisation, composition, and arrangement.



So many things are right with this recording: the tunes are carefully written and orchestrated. The musicianship is of the highest quality and sensitivity. And the sound is perfectly recorded and expertly balanced.



This is truly an inspired recording--the title is taken from Anne Lamott's collection of essays of the same name, which I suspect helped Potter overcome his fear of flying, among other things. In Lamott's writing, the spiritual is depicted through palpable, tangible forms, and after listening to Potter's recording several times, I began to understand its title more meaningfully. The 10 tracks are united compositionally and sonically, and I found myself (quite atypically) listening to them sequentially, instead of piecemeal.



When discussing faith, Lamott speaks of nurturance: "But I knew what would happen: you let a cat in one time, give it a little milk and then it stays forever." Listeners will discover a similar experience in Potter's case as well; he and his group nurture memorable phrases and use motivic development to subconsciously create a connection between the audience and the music.



Several tracks stand out, such as "Megalopolis," an outstanding group effort, "Invisible Man," a sensitive and deeply moving ballad that features pianist Kevin Hays in superb form, and "Migrations," which I feel is a far more satisfying vehicle for funk-groove improvisation than even John Scofield has been composing as of late. From Sco's inspired playing on the tune, I can tell he was impressed with Potter's composition.



Originality is a rare commodity in the current jazz scene, especially on a relatively high-profile recording such as this. It's one of the most rewarding listening experiences I've had in recent months, in which I've spent time exploring the recordings of some of the major voices in jazz saxophone, such as Tony Malaby and Dave Binney.



Finally, let me say that this record GROOVES, HARD! The rhythm section is exceptionally tight, and of course, drummer Bill Stewart never disappoints. There will inevitably be comparisons to assorted fusion recordings due to the nature of the instrumentation, but this is no fusion record. Give it a chance, and let me the melodies work their magic on you!"

New Direction in Jazz

liss-nirr | 10/29/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album, along with Brad Mehldau's "Largo," represents an exciting new direction in jazz; one of dramatically increased diversity in many different dimensions- harmonically, rhythmically, sonically...all of the traditional parameters are pushed a great deal farther than they have been in the past. The music is a successful combination of a wide variety of sounds and styles, staying true to "real" jazz with its complex harmony and improvisation, while incorporating new electronic samples and more aggressive grooves. Some tracks are more traditional than others, but all are great creations. This is some of the most exciting, cutting-edge jazz available today."

A beautiful, passionate and intelligent masterpiece

Tom Beek | Utrecht, the Netherlands | 05/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think this is Potter's most mature and yet most attractive album up to date. The songs are clear, strong and very original. Potter's writing skills are still growing, he seems to have developed really a unique writing style. Can you imagine a 7/8 beat that swings so deep as in track nr. 4 - it's my favourite (yes, I had this one on repeat for over a week). To me, this music reflects the sounds and time we live in in a beautiful, passionate and intelligent way. Of course, these musicians have what you can call an intellectual background, but they play with so much feeling and understanding of music! Check out track 3. Doesn't this bring tears to your eyes? Also, it's jazz, of course. But it is far more than that. In a way, it even redefines jazz (like the new Pat Metheny Group does) and just I like that very much! It's fresh and very intense, the playing is extremely tight, you can hear that these guys are soulmates. No egos involved, just smart and wise people being very serious about their music. Scofield's solo on the 1st rack is awesome, it's cooking! Overall, you can hear that Potter has a clear musical vision, a very strong, mature and meaningful voice. With three extremely strong musical statements (1,3,4) I can't help but call this a masterpiece."