Chris Potter's "Traveling Mercies," the followup to his highly acclaimed "Gratitude" album, is in many ways better, but in all ways more adventurous. "Gratitude" paid saxophone debts to the past with tunes dedicated to Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter, but on the new release, Potter is in a traveling mood -- ready to explore. Part of his success comes from his ability to simultaneously face jazz's past and future.
Potter wastes no time getting into a strong electric mode, with guitarist John Scofield sitting in on the first track, "Megalopolis." They lay down the lead line with a quirky offbeat and plenty of energy. The band, whose players -- keyboardist Kevin Hays, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Bill Stewart -- are all top-notch, make complicated rhythms seem easy. They kick into 4/4 for a couple of tunes, but stick with a freer rhythmic structure that offers both tension and release. "Snake Oil," for example, stops and starts, gets going, then hesitates, fast-forwards, and then takes a couple of steps back. It's dizzying, but intriguing.
Other tracks, though, are as pretty and lyrical as any jazz around. "Invisible Man" has a lonesome melody that Potter renders on flute. The delicacy of the tune creates a faraway, natural space for everyone in the band to solo in careful whispers. In contrast, the meaty version of the traditional spiritual "Go Children" digs into hand-clapping, straight-up pleasure, the bass lines and chord changes tempering the gospel with gritty blues.