Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Zakir Hussein in a Mini-Concert

Every time I go to the NPR Music website, I find something new and amazing. One ongoing series they produce is called the "Tiny Desk Concerts," in which major league musicians from all genres are invited to squeeze into the cubicle of music host Bob Boilen and perform a short set for the cameras. In this installment, banjo player Bela Fleck, bassist Edgar Meyer, and tabla master Zakir Hussein perform two pieces that are part jazz, part Americana, and part worldbeat. The instruments represent four different continents (banjo from North America via Africa, bass from Europe, and tablas from India), but the players couldn't be more "in tune" with each other. The interaction is tight and the musicians obviously love playing together. The close-range camera shots give us great views of all three players' technique, especially exciting when they zoom in on Hussein's hands as they become a blur of motion on the drum heads. Check out the video here. They even have an mp3 that you can download of the concert!