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Pianist Jon Mayer focuses on 10 under-performed gems of the American Songbook, approaching them from his unique perspective. The selections include Cole Porter's "Dream Dancing," Rodgers & Hammerstein's "I Have Dreamed," Cy Coleman's "I'm Gonna Laugh You Out of My Life," Jobim's "If You Never Come to Me," a solo performance of "My Romance" and much more. Mayer is backed by bassist Rufus Reid an drummer Dick Berk.
So many labels for music these days and so little time (to pay attention to them all)! These three musicians are, in the truest sense of the word/phrase: improvising jazz musicians! what a welcome relief as so many kinds of music still pretend to the mantle known as the art of improvisation = aka, jazz. Pianist Mayer plays some of the most lyrical/romantic and "full" chord patterns I've heard in some time. Bassist Reid doesn't do anything "fancy" on this disc (thank goodness!); i'm really worn out by bassists-of-the-month trying to impress with either minimalist playing or playing the "how many notes can i fit into a measure??" style. Bassist Reid knows what's important in playing the bass and adds a dimension to this trio I haven't heard in some time; his playing is both technically impressive (without ego) and warm with feeling. Drummer Dick Berk, whose credits are a literal "who's who?" of jazz, over decades of creative and swinging playing, contributes, like bassist Reid, a feeling that simply propels the music into a rarely heard realm of listenable and totally enjoyable music that contains some very unique approaches to several of the classic tunes on the cd.And how nice it was to hear a drummer who knows how to use a vastly underused tool of the drummer's trade: brushes!! The recorded sound is nothing short of excellent and the ambiance is wonderful. This is a well balanced program of slow-medium-up tempo tunes and there isn't a bum one in the entire album. These three folks are real musicians, always in tune and tuning in to each other; the empathy is evident throughout. I could single out specific tunes for this and that; suffice to say, if you consider yourself a jazz fan and/or lover of piano-led acoustic trios, this effort will guarantee a smile on your face and some toe-tapping and melody recognition faster than you can say "How do you get to Carnegie Hall??!" This trio cooks!!