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
All compositions by Chris Potter except where indicated