Crabb's has performed the music of Astor Piazzolla in concerts with the original members of Piazzolla's own quintet along with tworecordings, one as soloist and arranger with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the second with Richard Tognetti and the quintet named Tango Jam.
In 2005 he directed from the accordion Piazzolla's Maria de Buenos Aires at the Royal Danish Opera.
A selection of Crabb's acclaimed solo arrangements of Piazzolla's music was published in 2009 by Boosey & Hawkes.
James Crabb has recorded with his accordion duo colleague Geir Draugsvoll for EMI Classics transcriptions of Igor Stravinsky's Petrushka and Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.
This duo performs regularly worldwide and collaborates frequently with the Tero Saarinen Dance Company from Finland.