John Mayer's Career Continuum Is Still Evolving

07/28/06 6:00pm

by Arti Patel (CHARTattack)

John Mayer has sold more than eight million albums in his relatively short career and, while he's not turning his back on the soulful commercial pop that made him a star, he's continuing to broaden his horizons on his forthcoming Continuum album.

Three years after the release of Heavier Things, Aware/Columbia will issue Mayer's new album on September 12. The three-time Grammy Award winner worked with drummer/producer Steve Jordan on the disc, making it the first time that he's co-produced a studio effort.

In between releases, Mayer, Jordan and bassist Pino Palladino (who's since taken the late John Entwistle's place in The Who) toured and recorded the live album Try! under the name John Mayer Trio. The album came out last November, and Mayer praises the entire experience.

"As a songwriter, the trio helped me focus on being more raw. As a guitar player, it helped me get a lot out of my system and get to a point somewhere between the trio record and [his 2001 debut album] Room For Squares — and that's a really good place to be."

While Mayer is still working on Continuum and a full track list isn't available, the album includes two John Mayer Trio songs that they've reworked for the studio: "Vultures" and "Gravity." It also features the Curtis Mayfield-influenced first single, "Waiting On The World To Change," as well as "I Don't Trust Myself With Loving You," "Slow Dancing In A Burning Room," "I'm Gonna Find Another You," "Heart Of Life," "Stop This Train" and a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Bold As Love."

Mayer will embark on a tour with Sheryl Crow that starts on August 24 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and includes a September 22 show at Vancouver's GM Place. Before that, however, he'll play Toronto's Mod Club on August 21. The all-ages concert is restricted to members of Mayer's Local 83 fan club, who can purchase up to two tickets here starting at 10 a.m. on August 1.