Boomer Jazz

Marius Nordal is one of those virtuoso pianists who can spin you around in your chair and make you rue the day you ever started taking piano lessons. I know this to be true because I own his first two albums for Origin, and I've heard his Tatum-esque exploits on both. He has complete command of the piano, and you can't reign him in, so don't try. And, by the way, it's all very musical and lots of fun! This time around, Nordal tackles the music of the last 40 years, hence the title. I don't think any serious listener will ever come to the conclusion that tunes by Chuck Berry, the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the like will ever measure up to the sophistication of the Gershwins, Porters, Kerns and Ellingtons. And that's my only argument with this recording. Nordal plays as brilliantly as ever, but "School Days," "Good Vibrations" and "She's Leaving Home" don't have the jazz clout of the previous generation of composers. Other than that, just breathe in his virtuosity and understand that "Eleanor Rigby" and "Mrs. Robinson" never sounded better.