Jon Mayer - My Romance (2005)

Jon Mayer got a rather belated start on his solo career, but he seems to be making up for lost time with his series of CDs for Reservoir. His third date for the label is a trio session with bassist Rufus Reid once again on hand, along with drummer Dick Berk, with whom he last played nearly a half-century earlier. The ten selections should be familiar to seasoned jazz fans, though Mayer's buoyant take of "Yours Is My Heart Alone," his upbeat arrangement of "I Have Dreamed" (from The King and I), and his brisk setting of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "If You Never Come to Me" make one wonder why these songs are performed so infrequently by jazz musicians. Mayer's fleet bop arrangement of Jerome Kern's "Yesterdays" and dreamy take of "But Beautiful" demonstrate that he can find something fresh within time-tested standards as well. The rhythm section provides strong support throughout the disc. While this release may seem a little brief by CD standards at 47 minutes, it is an absolute delight from start to finish, without a hint of filler material.

Review by Ken Dryden