MUSIC REVIEWS
John Mayer Trio - Try! John Mayer Trio Live in Concert
David Allun Jones
After dropping the somewhat stale Heavier Things in 2004, coffeehouse charmer John Mayer spent most of the following year making surprise cameo appearances on albums from the likes of Herbie Hancock, BB King, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and Common. Suddenly, the man who sang about bubblegum tongues on “Your Body Is A Wonderland” and encouraged parents to show their little girls love on “Daughters” seemed to be about so much more than tender adult pop. Building off that revelation, Mayer makes his most courageous move yet on Try! John Mayer Trio Live In Concert, an amazing spectacle that forgoes the sleepy, polished sheen of his studio work and shines the light on Mayer’s awarding talents in a blues-driven live context.
A collaboration with top-billed musicians Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino, Try marks a significant moment in his career that will no doubt provoke the ones who ignored Mayer before to give him a second chance. Original creations like “Who Do You Think I Was” and the album closer “Try” find John indulging in his blues-rock fantasies, vibing off the energy of the ecstatic audience and bringing the witty, introspective lyricism that made his early material so good, back into play. These records keep the momentum high and blend in well with the two classic covers included: knowledgeable renditions of Jimi Hendrix’ electric “Wait Until Tomorrow” and Ray Charles’ gospel-soaked “I Got A Woman”. Many have done these songs before, and Mayer doesn’t really add much new to them, but you can’t help but be touched by the amount of fun all three musicians are having over such beloved standards.
Much of the focus lies in Mayer’s guitar work and his shockingly, outstanding fluidity with the instrument. It’s hard to picture somewhat as dopey as John being such a master with the guitar solo, but he sounds like one of the greats with the way he works a bluesy melody, especially on “Out of My Mind”. The record follows way too closely to the typical blues formula, but it’s a lone hackneyed trick and carries such moving lyrics, delivered in such a simplistic form, that it’s appeal is undeniable.
When the energy dies off, the album does tend to hit some rough spots. Such intimate balladry just doesn’t work as well coming from a jam band, if only because you know that the band is going to be playing it for at least half an hour. The familiarity of “Daughters” works to it’s benefit, with John briefly allowing the audience to sing along on their own, but vanilla original entry “Gravity” would have anyone heading to the bar for a little liquid nourishment until the next upbeat tune emerges.
Where John Mayer goes from here is still up in the air, but his career trajectory doesn’t seem as dead end as it did before. It would be pointless to return to his comparably boring singer/ songwriter roots now that he’s proven to be way more adventurous than his previous music allowed. Whichever way he ends up, Try stands as a testament to make sure you pick up some tickets the next time the JMT is performing in your town. You’ll most likely be thoroughly entertained.
