Meryl Romer CD Release Party at Iridium. Singer Meryl Romer came to the Big Apple from Boulder, Colorado, to celebrate her new CD, So Sure at the Iridium on July 8, 2009. She brought a crowd of family and friends to hear her, and a band of Colorado-based musicians: Eric Deutsch on piano, Bill Kopper on guitar, Mike McGinnis on tenor sax and flute, Jonti Siman on bass and Marc Dalio on drums. Guitarist Bill Kopper arranged most of the music.
Although this is Meryl’s debut CD, and her first foray into the professional music world, she is not a youngster. Many years of singing have helped her obtain an individual style with a unique, relaxed tone. The original “I’ve Waited Long Enough,” was a good opener for altoist Romer. Presented as an old-fashioned honky-tonk, it set the mood of the evening. Kopper’s guitar solo brought more modern elements to the tune, and he continued to show his expertise throughout the set.
Several of the songs were standards: “The Lady is a Tramp,” done in an unusual way with a shuffle groove initiated by Kopper; the ballads “But Beautiful” (one of my favorite tunes) and “This is Always” – Meryl sang the verse, delving into the tune with heartfelt gestures. Toots Thielemans’ “Bluesette,” was also a good vehicle for Meryl, where she phrased the swing section freely, scatting a bit, and coming back after the solos with a final chorus that exhibited a gravelly tone of her voice.
“Solomon Sang,” a Cassandra Wilson tune arranged by Kopper, was very tastefully done. Mike McGinnis (who played tenor sax for most of the set) was featured on flute during this straight-8th note groove. I felt the band was most comfortable on this style of music. After a few more songs in different styles (a Bob Dylan tune in a country-western fashion, “Close Your Eyes” – medium swing with a cool jazzy solo on tenor, and “Right on Time” – an original, a 12-bar blues about her early days in Brooklyn), they ended with the title cut of the CD, “So Sure.” This introspective piece was sung with only Eric Deutsch’s piano for accompaniment. Good luck to Meryl Romer in the future!
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Meryl Romer CD Release Party at Iridium. Singer Meryl Romer came to the Big Apple from Boulder, Colorado, to celebrate her new CD, So Sure at the Iridium on July 8, 2009. She brought a crowd of family and friends to hear her, and a band of Colorado-based musicians: Eric Deutsch on piano, Bill Kopper on guitar, Mike McGinnis on tenor sax and flute, Jonti Siman on bass and Marc Dalio on drums. Guitarist Bill Kopper arranged most of the music. 
