In Brief

Joe Henry crafts music of raw grace and muted passion, a sound endlessly smoky, contemplative and cool. His transformation began with the layering of sampled drums and loops into his wise-guy folk-rock on his ‘90s albums “Trampoline” and “Fuse.”

Those albums also hinted at a closet jazzman aesthetic, and “Scar” (in stores Tuesday) finally puts Henry’s bop obsessions out front. The album reaches an early peak with “Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation,” which sets Henry’s growled lyrics of regret and earned wisdom against cascading waves of melody and emotion from avant jazzman Ornette Coleman’s saxophone.

If blends of rock and jazz are too often self-conscious and awkward, Henry keeps things mostly understated, combining the best bits with a minimalist’s ear. Besides Coleman, who delivers uncompromising solos on two tracks, Henry is joined on “Scar” by a core band of delicate jazz players that includes pianist Brad Mehldau and guitarist Marc Ribot.

This isn’t a jam record, but music anchored securely to Henry’s songs of postmodern romance and desolation, finding that place where Sinatra mingles with Dylan. Layers of sound emerge in unexpected ways, from the gypsy blend of “Stop” to the quietly emotional piano balladry of “Cold Enough to Cross,” songs as smooth as a jazzy pop standard.

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