Bob James has influenced me so much! I stumbled upon these 2 performing these songs live!!! It was an unbelievable show if only I was able to be there would’ve been amazing!!!! For a 16-year old guy who plays piano I’m taking this all in!!!!!

I've been a Bob James fan for almost 40 years now and have every one of his albums since "Bob James 1." I admire that he is still looking for new things to try, new combinations, new styles. This duo-piano recording has some beautiful moments, but I wasn't truly inspired by any of the tracks. The contemporary take on Bach's "Jesu Joy" chorale was attractive, and the "Forever Variations" had some fun moments where the two pianists stretched out stylistically. But most of the other tracks are either meandering "pretty pieces," or near-misses like "Divertimento," which tries to be jazzy-classical but never really leaves the launching pad. The skill of both players is clearly evident, but after listening to the album more than once I have to admit there's nothing really memorable about the music they made in these sessions.

Wow! No other way to start off a description of this selection of music. You begin with two outstanding artists with fantastic collections in their own right. Put them together and watch the magic happen! If you know the history of both Bob James and Keiko Matsui then you know they share the common characteristic of being child prodigys, Bob here in the US and Keiko in Japan. Fast forward through their collections to this production and you have the rare opportunity to hear them both really show off the true mastery of the piano they each have with their own unique style. Sit back and listen and you can hear who is playing what with the variations of touch, style and phrasing, all the time marveling at how two masters can both sound fantastic and different at the same time. I suppose the real mastery is demonstrated in how seamlessly these two come together to make a sound so wonderful together. I am excited to see two of my favorite artists come together in a single collaboration. Hey, David Benoit, care to join the fun? Arthur

Two fantastic artists. I've liked Bob James since Grand Piano Canyon. This tops it all. Pure piano deliciousness.