Jon Mayer Trio - Rip Van Winkle: Live at the Jazz Bakery (1999)

Jon Mayer's third CD as a leader is an impressive outing at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles with bassist Bob Maize and drummer Harold Mason. This date is filled with memorable music, including a dazzling take of "On Green Dolphin Street," an elegant solo performance of "Embraceable You," and a rich arrangement of "If You Could See Me Now." But the works of more recent vintage are just as delectable. Mayer's version of Kenny Barron's "Tragic Magic" has some of the best solos of the evening by each member of the trio. Mayer's subdued ballad "Shari's Bolero" (dedicated to his wife) and his jaunty "RipVan Winkle" are proof that he is an impressive composer, too. Highly recommended. -- Ken Dryden