Good evening, Las Vegas.

And welcome to Myron's at the Smith Center.

We are so happy to be here.

Say hello to my dear friend Bob James.

And he doesn't need any additional hellos, but we're going to give him one anyway.

Say hello to Dave Koz.

Thank you so much.

Well, Bob and I are, are so excited to be here tonight to celebrate the release of a new album that we made together.

Came out a couple of months ago.

It's called Just Us.

And as you can see, it is just us tonight.

No, band, no drums, no bass, no guitar, just us.

And it's really a wonderful thing for Bob and I. Kind of an intoxicating feeling to just be able to hear our instruments marinate with one another and feel the sound that these two instruments make.

And it was a really wonderful thing for us to free ourselves from our normal way of doing records and tours with big bands.

So thank you for being part of this grand experiment and being here tonight.

We appreciate it so much.

I'll give you, very quickly, a little backstory on the making of this album.

We didn't actually set out to make an album.

It was actually Bob's idea.

I had invited Bob to be a part of one of our cruises that we do called Soma.

It was, last September, and he accepted the offer on one condition.

He said, I would like you to come to my house in Northern Michigan and we can record a couple of duets, just you and me together.

Piano and saxophone that you can give to your guests as a gift on the cruise.

And it's fantastic idea.

So I went to Traverse City, his beautiful compound, gorgeous home there on the lake, and we recorded those two songs like that.

And so we recorded two more.

And then I was leaving on that trip and I said, Bob, not just because you fed me like a king for two days, but I don't feel like we're really done here yet.

So I came back about six weeks later and we recorded another five songs that trip, and then we finished the album at my house in Los Angeles, about a month later or so, and this was the first song that we recorded in Bob's living room in Traverse City.

And we'd like to play it for you right now in the living room of Myron here in Las Vegas.

This is called My Ship.

Thank you.

I have the nervous pleasure of announcing the next song, because David is, the consummate, leader and, articulator of his thoughts and emotions, so I. But I got to do this one, and it's a weird tune to announce, so I will admit, and I didn't write it, and I definitely did not title it, which makes it even harder for me to announce it for you.

But I'm going to do my best.

Ready?

The title of this next song, composed by David Carr's, is called Naked Ballet.

I don't have any idea what I'm going to do, and he's never explained it to me either.

But I am going to, reassure you that neither one of those two words are going to be taken literally.

I'm not a ballet dancer, and, I'm not ready to do the Las Vegas Strip for you either.

But nevertheless, it's a really cool composition.

Naked Ballet by David Carr's best introduction ever.

Thank you.

Since he gave me some approval, he's given me permission to do another announcement.

I'll try to keep it short.

So, he told you at the beginning we're going to be playing some original compositions and also some standard songs from the, Great American Songbook.

The next one we're going to play for you.

We think that most all of you will recognize it, but you may not know the composer, because this gentleman was much more famous for being a comedian than he was, a music composer.

This song was composed by Charlie Chaplin, the great comedian from the black and white movie days.

And, it's a very emotional song.

But to us, as we were rehearsing it and putting it together, I couldn't help but visualize that image of him with the hat.

And, somehow, rhythmically, it found its way into the arrangement.

So we hope you enjoy our interpretation of Charlie Chaplin's smile.

How about that solo?

I gotta give credit where credit is is due.

This is the piano player.

This is the drummer.

This is the bass player.

The guitar player.

The string section, the percussionist.

All coming from an 85 year old Bob James.

85.

He hates when I do.

You would have been.

53.

See what I'm talking about?

Thank you very much.

Bob James.

Had gone.

That was for.

You all having a good time tonight?

So far?

Wonderful.

Very much so are we.

Well, this is a very intimate.

And it feels like the living room that we recorded the music very warm and beautiful and inviting.

And I want to thank Myron and everybody here at the Smith Center for giving this opportunity to bring just us to Las Vegas.

Thank you.

Myron.

You guys, come on, everybody, put your hands together.

Come on.Band.

Five.

James.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

We have one more song for you tonight, and, thank you.

I want to thank you so much for being such a warm and wonderful audience here this evening.

We we were, this is the last Just Us show, for this tour and for the immediate future, but I hope and I'm saying this publicly, and this is on TV.

Thank you for reminding me that I hope that Bob James is not done with me yet, and that we can do more of these shows.

And so it's been so much fun, and thank you for making it extra fun on our last evening here tonight in Myra's.

This is a song that very special for Bob and I. It's The Closer.

The album.

And in these very crazy times that we find ourselves living in, one thing that, never goes out of style is hope.

And that's what this song is all about.

It's called new Hope.

So hopefully you'll find yourself leaving tonight, the Smith Center with some new hope in your hearts.

And if so, then we've done our job tonight.

Thank you again for a beautiful, beautiful evening of the enjoy the song.

Good night everybody.

Thank you so much.

The one and only.

A musical treasure.

And an icon of the piano.

Bob James.

And they cost.

They love playing for you tonight.

Thank you all so much.

Goodnight, everybody.