Popular Favorites Played With A Touch Of Class
seriously, it's a nice enough record until Peterson "improvises", which is almost always a bunch of mood-busting notejaculations. Riddle do what Riddle do, though, in a good solid B+ version (ok, A-, maybe), and when Peterson just plays the melody, more or less, it's a fine "mood" record. But that motherfucker is hellbent on busting the mood first chance he gets, unfortunately.
Great pianist, excellent musician, but just a damn poor concept of what he need to do to matter. The less he plays, the better he sounds. Did nobody ever tell him that?
But i like Nelson Riddle, I really do.