Having been on board with Barbra since before she even recorded, when she appeared at the Crystal Palace in Gaslight Square in St. Louis, I more than four decades ago came to expect the best from her. But even I didn't expect her new collaboration with Barry Gibb to be this exceptional. Just when you think you have the lady pinned down, she surprises you, bursts forth from her cocoon and flies away with beautiful new musical wings. This album is beautiful, is fun, is literate, is a bit goofy, in other words it's everything a discriminating listener could ask of an artist. And she sounds not like an icon but a young, fresh singer out exploring the musical landscape with enthusiasm, flair and commitment. Barbra has used her remarkable gifts wisely and well. That is her ultimate gift to us.