John Mayer: Who Did You Think He Was?

My daughter became a fan of the singer-songwriter John Mayer while in high school, and has remained a fan in the years since. Critics dismissed Mayer, in the early days of his career, as nothing more the latest teen heartthrob. You can't blame them; he certainly fits the stereotype.

But Mayer has always taken his music seriously, and over the four years my daughter and I have been going to see Mayer in concert (roughly 15 or so times by now) he’s distinguished himself and has come to be recognized as a blues and rock guitarist on the level of Eric Clapton. Since Mayer has been writing and playing with Clapton lately, it's it's safe to say that Clapton agrees.

Mayer has been passionate about the blues from the beginning of his career, and takes time out to perform with classic American blues artists in smaller venues. I don't think my daughter would have joined me to see Buddy Guy play guitar, but because John Mayer was on the bill, she was absolutely determined to go. Because John Mayer played with Buddy Guy, my daughter became a Buddy Guy fan - and, for that matter, a blues fan.

Mayer publicly identifies his heroes, appears on the bill with them, and thus introduces his (primarily teenage) fans to listen to the music he loves. Because Mayer covered "Axis: Bold Is Love," my daughter now knows Jimi Hendix's music better than I do.

Mayer took a year off at the moment his popular music career reached its highest point… to form a blues trio. In a trio - where you've only got one guitar, one bass guitar, and drums - there's no place to hide if you're not up to the challenge. Mayer was brilliant. Here's the Trio at Webster Hall doing some Hendirx for a few hundred lucky fans (which, of course, included us).

His rock and pop music also should also be ranked among the best; "Stop This Train," from the "Continuum" CD is a particularly perfect blend of words and music. Like The Beatles in their early days, who frequently praised Fats Domino, Little Richard, Elvis, Carl Perkins and the other musicians who inspired them, Mayer is creating not only great contemporary music but also a generation of fans with more eclectic tastes.