Banjo, Tabla, and Bass Converge: ‘As We Speak’ by Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, and Edgar Meyer

Jun 28, 2023

Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, and Edgar Meyer – As We Speak (Thirty Tigers, 2023)

Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer, and Rakesh Chaurasia have created a sui generis blend of Indian and Western Classical music, jazz, and bluegrass. Their As We Speak project features banjo, tabla, double bass, and bansuri, creating a soulful and fascinating theme.

When Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, and Edgar Meyer joined forces to produce a new recording, they did so to create something exceptional. Although each musician came from a different background, they all shared a gift for improvisation and a willingness to explore musical genres outside their usual genres. The result was As We Speak, a groundbreaking display of their instrumentalist abilities and a testament to the range of musical influences at their command. When these three musicians unite, magic happens, and our world is better for it.

The artists ingeniously blend banjo, tabla, double bass, and bansuri to craft soulful and indescribable music.

Across a dozen songs, the quartet glides easily between the cerebral complexity of Indian rhythm and the gut-level groove of a funky bass line, sounding equally at home with the rigors of the raga.

The music played on “As We Speak” by Hussain, Meyer, and Fleck is genuinely remarkable and unparalleled. Their exceptional group and individual talent and creativity are evident in every note they play, and their tireless pursuit of new and innovative approaches to music-making has yielded remarkable achievements beyond what anyone could have imagined.

No wonder they are highly respected by their peers and fans alike, and their music continues to captivate and delight audiences worldwide.

As We Speak, essential list of 2023.

Buy As We Speak.