Bob James and Keiko Matsui

Two titans of smooth jazz piano converge for two special nights!

While their styles are as different from those legends of jazz’s past as fusion is from boogie-woogie,
James and Matsui are linked to the tradition of what’s called “four-hand piano,” where two players sit down at one instrument and play together. They toured the world and garnered rave reviews in 2001, now it’s time to revisit this incredible show in the intimate setting of the Dakota.

Bob James is one of the pivotal figures in smooth jazz, incorporating pop elements into Weather Report-era fusion to create something new. His efforts to push jazz in a more pop direction have led to his music being heavily sampled by hip-hop artists. His early work featured Earl Klugh on guitar, and he has worked extensively with Grover Washington, Jr., and David Sanborn. He is perhaps best known for his song “Angela, the theme from the show TAXI.

Keiko Matsui is one of the most prolific smooth jazz pianists in the last 20 years. Her style, deftly blending elements of Eastern and Western music and culture, is singular and easily identifiable, recently bordering on New Age territory. A native of Japan, she moved to the United States to record at age 19, and now has over 20 releases under her own name.

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