2002 · Album
Traveling Mercies
Verve · Studio Album Number: Ninth · Core Ensemble: [Kevin Hays] (keyboards), [Scott Colley] (bass), [Bill Stewart] (drums) · Guest Guitarists: [John Scofield] and [Adam Rogers]
Potter's Steady Hand in Good Company
A saxophonist at ease with his own voice, surrounded by players who listen as hard as he does.
By 2002, Chris Potter had already proven himself a serious saxophonist — technically fluent, harmonically curious, and willing to work in different settings. Traveling Mercies sits comfortably in his discography as a solid mainstream jazz record, nothing revolutionary, but worth hearing. The core trio of Potter with Kevin Hays on keys, Scott Colley on bass, and Bill Stewart on drums gives the album its backbone. This is a working band sound — direct, conversational, without a lot of studio fuss. Hays plays with restraint here, which suits Potter's approach. You get the sense everyone knows what everyone else is thinking.
The special element is the guitar, with John Scofield and Adam Rogers each appearing on separate tracks across seven of the ten pieces. This could have felt gimmicky, but it doesn't. Scofield brings his particular way of hearing chords — angular, slightly outside, but grounded. Rogers adds a different texture. Neither overshadows Potter, and that matters. The saxophonist holds the center throughout.
If you're new to Potter, this isn't the place to start. Try something earlier that shows more range. But if you already know his playing and want a record where he's relaxed and in conversation with musicians he trusts, Traveling Mercies delivers exactly that. It's the kind of album that sounds better the second time you hear it, when you stop waiting for something flashy and just listen to what's actually happening. That's worth something.
Who's playing
Where next?
More by Chris Potter
Song for Anyone 2007
Sunrise Reprise 2021
Circuits 2019
Follow the Red Line: Live at the Village Vanguard
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
