After years of performing solo, with string quartets and with orchestras, Brian has distilled the beauty of his melodies into his new duet album.
With many new titles and some of his most requested melodies, this album is a beautiful dance between piano and cello.
Brian is honored to work with Conservatoire National Superieur de Paris and Julliard trained Cellist, YuJeong Lee.

Brian Crain's latest album, "Piano and Cello Duet', is a real charmer and, in my estimation, his best CD to date. What sets it apart, aside from a more mature approach to each composition and performance, is the pairing with Ms. YuJeong Lee, from Korea, a jewel in her own right on cello. This is the perfect music for a romantic dinner by candlelight...or a contemplative hour by the window on a rainy day. Don't miss it!
Capt. Christopher 91.5FM WTUL

I have always loved the soulful sound of piano and cello duets, and Idaho pianist/composer Brian Crain has created a full album of duets for himself and Korean cellist YuJeong Lee - what a treat! This is Crain’s twelfth album to date, and is certainly one of his very best. All fifteen tracks are distinctive, but the mood of the album is consistently one of quiet reflection and warm contentment. Several of the tracks are new arrangements of pieces that were featured on Crain’s previous albums. Ms Lee has studied with cello masters around the world and is obviously at one with her instrument. She and Crain have a shared sensibility about the music that communicates as a sensuous musical dialogue.

The CD opens with the gentle and wistful “Spring Waltz,” a lovely piece full of hope and renewal. “Across the Bay” is dreamy and slightly bittersweet, wondering what it’s like on the other side. “Rolling Clouds” sounds a bit ominous, but these are definitely the white fluffy kind. Mostly a piano solo, this piece reminds me of some of Robin Spielberg’s lighthearted music. “One Morning in June” is a knock-out! Darker and more melancholy, this piece is a perfect blending of both instruments, and if it doesn’t tug at your heart, something is definitely out of whack! “Song For Sienna” is one of the older pieces, composed in honor of Crain’s little daughter (at the time). Warm and full of love, this is another beauty! “Butterfly Waltz” is a carefree ode to springtime and innocence. I love “Early Light,” which more than suggests Erik Satie’s influence. Also a piano solo, Crain really pours his soul into this piece - very haunting and elegant. “Northern Sky” was the title track from Crain’s 2000 release. Gorgeous as a piano solo, the cello makes the gentle melody even more poignant. “Lavender Hills” is also exceptionally nice with a wonderful counterpoint between the two instruments - very peaceful! The closing track is a solo “Tribute to Dax Johnson,” an incredibly talented and charismatic artist who died much too young last fall. Dax was a friend of mine, too, and this piece reflects the sense of loss that all of us who knew him and his work felt and will always feel. The piece is a touching and memorable tribute.

“Piano and Cello Duet” is one of my favorite albums so far this year, and it’s been a good year for new piano releases. It is currently available only from www.briancrain.com. Very highly recommended!
Reviewed by Kathy Parsons Solo Piano Publications

For those of you still not familiar with pianist Brian Crain, he has been recording quality material since the mid 1990’s. His past recordings have been largely tantalizing piano work embellished by synthesized based string arrangements. Recently, Crain has gone organic which has included 2005’s fully orchestrated epic Spring Symphonies and prior to that the retrospective Brian Crain and the BC String Ensemble. Though Crain has continued the more warm and organic approach he decided to present his listeners with another retrospective recording along with a few surprises up his sleeve.

Unlike the Brian Crain and the BC String Ensemble which featured a quartet, Piano and Cello Duets features the elegant and classical cello renditions of YuJeong Lee alongside Brian’s piano performances. Of the fifteen tracks listed five of them are brand new compositions heard for the first time and that includes the opening track “Spring Waltz”. The surreal and classical integration of the twosome appear to be a match made in heaven which replays itself via “One Morning In June”.

In contrast, there is the more optimistic and buoyant piano work on “Rolling Clouds”. This time around Brian goes it alone with a melody that is uplifting and hopeful. It is not only the album’s most memorable moment but one of Brian’s better compositions that overflows with joy and elation. Brian also performs solo by concluding the album with a tribute to fellow pianist Dax Johnson who died less than two years ago. Needless to say, the song is more reflective and tender paying a loving tribute to his fallen comrade.

The remaining balance of the tracks allows Brian to revisit his past with his new found musical friend. The most successful arrangements can be found on “Across The Bay”, “A Walk In The Forest” and “Lavender Hills”. The only minor glitch is that five of the ten retrospective tracks have already been revisited on the Brian Crain and the BC String Ensemble. Though some of these repetitions are some of Brian’s finer moments, exploring alternative compositions that had not yet received a makeover would have made this stellar album even stronger.

That said, the minimal duplication is the only the only downside of Piano and Cello Duets. More importantly it also features five new compositions representing Crain in the present tense. As a result, this gorgeous album accommodates successfully as an introduction to new found fans and diehards alike.

Reviewed by Michael Debbage Solo Piano Publications