“Battle Hymn of the Republic” might not seem like an obvious choice for the opening track on a jazz musician’s first album as a leader, but for drummer Chris Parker, a percussive call-to-arms translated into a swinging groove is highly appropriate. Parker’s indomitable spirit, his omnivorous capacity to play numerous instruments and to operate in a wide variety of jazz contexts, is represented here by his eclectic choice of repertoire and a turn on tenor sax for his lovely, Coltranesque ballad “Positive Energy” (a fitting title from this exuberant young artist). He also shows off his arranging chops on tunes ranging from Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” (featuring singer Rachel Caswell) and Sam Rivers’ jazz standard “Beatrice” to the aforementioned “Battle Hymn” and Rachmaninoff’s “Adagio Sostenuto.” In addition, there’s an ambitious four-part suite, “Then and Now,” the punchy funk of the title track, and the hip, laid back, infectiously-catchy “It’s No Secret,” that give evidence of a compelli