You might expect Chicago reed player Ken Vandermark, who has a hand in at least eight current groups and a discography a mile long, to have trouble concentrating on one thing. Yet his main concern, the Vandermark 5, has survived for nearly a decade, releasing an album a year since 1997.

“It’s a challenge, but longevity is actually what has kept us interested,” Vandermark explained in a telephone interview. “The question is, Can we remain a creative ensemble? The whole point is to see if that’s doable.”

Judging by the Vandermark 5’s latest album, “The Color of Memory,” doable is an understatement. Vandermark’s distinctive compositions, which navigate swinging funk, melodic bop, and free-form blare, inspire enthralling improvisations from saxophonist Dave Rempis, trombonist Jeb Bishop, bassist Kent Kessler, and drummer Tim Daisy. “My goal is to write music that motivates the players to approach it differently every time,” Vandermark said. “So once they know the way the piece works, they want to push it in new directions.”

Vandermark himself has sought new directions for nearly two decades. His early work took place in Montreal and Boston, but since 1989 he has been a fixture in Chicago’s improv scene. Exploring a wide range of genres – jazz, rock, funk, even metal – he’s played with scores of musicians, from German sax legend Peter Brotzmann to the punk group Flying Luttenbachers. His massive oeuvre of more than 90 albums has garnered impressive recognition, including a 1999 MacArthur fellowship. Current endeavors are too numerous to list, but highlights include the rock-influenced Free Music Ensemble, the multinational horn trio Sonore, and the powerful 11-piece Territory Band.

On “The Color of Memory,” Vandermark’s talents as a leader emerge through his group’s well-honed sense of communication. “I see the studio as a place to document the band in action, so I approach it like it’s a concert,” he said. “I want to get a great representation of the way a composition could sound – not should sound, but could sound.” The two-CD set was recorded in 2004, just before original member Jeb Bishop departed to pursue new work. A rare hiatus followed, but the Vandermark 5 was revitalized when cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm joined last summer.

“It forced me to come up with new arrangements, which made pieces feel quite fresh,” Vandermark said. “Now we can work in a very acoustic mode, and then shift to something more rock-derived. The way Fred approaches improvisation incorporates things further afield from the jazz tradition. It allows us to try more risky types of playing.”

The change has also inspired a shift in Vandermark’s compositional philosophy. “Earlier, there were things about jazz, funk, and rock that I was interested in, and I would try to write music that incorporated that,” he said. “Now I’m trying to step beyond that process, trust my intuition, and not worry about whether a piece has a precedent.”

The new lineup recorded for the first time last December. As on “The Color of Memory” and the two previous Vandermark 5 albums, the session was produced Bob Weston, best-known for work with rock bands such as Mission of Burma and Shellac. A fall release is planned.

In the meantime, the final two installments of the quintet’s interpretive project, “Jazz Classics,” have just been issued. As on the previous two volumes, the group covers works by classic jazz composers, this time Roland Kirk and Sonny Rollins. “I made the decision this year to take a break from that,” Vandermark said. “I’ve learned a lot exploring other composers, but the focus now needs to be on our original music. We have a new attitude, and I think we’re just starting to learn what the potential is.”

January 31 at Tonic (107 Norfolk Street, 212-358-7501).