Explore every episode of the podcast NYC Radio Live

Niladri Kumar is one of the great sitarists of out time.  In this free-wheeling conversation, Niladri talks about his lifelong search for sound and his upcoming release with the late great Zakir Hussain. The son and disciple of Pandit Kartick Kumar, one of the senior-most disciples of Pandit Ravi Shankar, Niladri was a child prodigy who gave his first performance at age six. He went on to tour the world with Ustad Zakir Hussain’s Masters of Percussion, collaborate with guitar giant John McLaughlin and bassist Jonas Hellborg, and share stages with Rakesh Chaurasia and Jayanthi Kumaresh. In Indian cinema, his playing animates scores by A.R. Rahman, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, and Pritam, often on the “zitar,” the five-string electric sitar he invented.

 

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Ragas Live Surprise! Surprise set from Dr. Mysore Manjunath, Sumanth Manjunath, Giridhar Udupa Sai Giridhar Ragas Live Festival 2026

Ragas Live Festival 2026 10/18-10-19 at Pioneer Works Set 5 of 24 Hours of Music 1:40 AM    Dr. Mysore Manjunath(violin);  Sumanth Manjunath(violin); Giridhar Udupa (ghatam); Sai Giridhar (mridangam)

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Ragas Live Festival 2026 10/18-10-19 at Pioneer Works Set 1 of 24 Hours of Music 7PM Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan (violin); B. Guru Raghavendra (mridangam); Sharadha Krishnan (tanpura)

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Ragas Live Festival 2026 10/18-10-19 at Pioneer Works Se2 of 24 Hours of Music 8:40 PM Sanhita Nandi (vocals); Nitin Mitta (tabla); Ravi Mishra (harmonium); Pratyush Goberdhan (sarangi); Bani Kaur (tanpura)

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Ragas Live Festival 2026 10/18-10-19 at Pioneer Works Set 3 of 24 Hours of Music 10:20 PM A Tribute to Umm Kulthum - Gholobt Asaleh fi Ruhi Featuring Zahra AlZubaidi, Zafer Tawil, Sami Abu Shumays, and The Umm Kulthum Workshop Sami Abu Shumays (violin/vocals); Zahra A-Zubaidi (vocals); Zafer Tawil (qanun/vocals); Johnny Farraj (riqg) Alber Baseel (tabla) Sarah Mueller (violin); Eylem Basaldi (violin); Gideon Forbes (nay); James "sprocket" Royer (double bass); Josh Farrar (electric guitar)

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Ragas Live Festival 2026 10/18-10-19 at Pioneer Works Set 4 of 24 Hours of Music (Midnight Set) Saha Gnawa Maâlem Hassan Ben Jaafar, vocals and guembri; Daniel Freedman, drums and percussion; Amino Belyamani, qraqebs and backing vocals; David Lizmi, qraqebs and backing vocals; Jason Lindner, keys and synths; Guilherme Monteiro, guitars; Michael Leonhart trumpet; (surprise Guest: Nels Cline, guitar)

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Ragas Live Festival 2026 10/18-10-19 at Pioneer Works Set 6 of 24 Hours of Music Time 3:20 AM Flute Raman (Carnatic flute); Sriram Raman  (mirdangam)

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Ragas Live Festival 2026 10/18-10-19 at Pioneer Works Set 7of 24 Hours of Music 5AM Anubrata Chatterjee, tabla; Samyuktha Sreeram, ghatam; Rohan Misra, Sarangi

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Ragas Live Festival 2026 10/18-10-19 at Pioneer Works Set 8 of 24 Hours of Music  6:15 AM Sunrise set.

Gabriel Akhmad Marin Qalb Ensemble

Gabriel Akhmad Marin- Dombra, Fretless Guitar Muhammad Ali Mojaradi- Recitation Amin Sharshar- Vocal, Setar Yousef Tehrani- Daf, Vocal

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Ragas Live Festival 2-26 October 17-18 9:30 AM at Pioneer Works Set 9 of 24 hours of music.   Soumya Chakraverty, sarod; Dibyarka Chatterjee, tabla

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Ragas Live Festival  October 17-18 2026  Set 10 of 24 hours of music Vinay Desai, santoor; Anubrata Chatterjee, tabla

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Ragas Live Festival October 17-18 Set 11 of 24 hours of music 11:00AM Mitali Banerjee Bhawmik, vocal; Pratyush Goberdhan, sarangi; Mir Naqibul Islam, tabla, Shankhadip Chakrabarty, vocal support and tanpura.

 

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Ragas Live Festival October 17-18 2026  Set 12: 12:40PM of the 24 hours of music Aditya Prakash, vocal, Kamalakiran Vinjamuri, violin, Abhinav Seetharaman, mridangam; Samyuktha Sreeram, ghatam

 

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Ragas Live Festival October 17-18 2026 2:15 PM Set 13 of 24 hours of music Derek Gripper (guitar) Celebrates Toumani Diabaté 

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Ragas Live Festival October 17-18 2028 Set 14. 3:45 PM Indrajit Banerjee, sitar; Nitin Mitta, tabla

 

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Ragas Live Festival October 17- October 18 Set 15 5:35PM - 7:00 PM  The final set of the Ragas Live Festival at Pioneer Works.  The legends of Qawaal, Fareed Ayaz & Abu Muhammad on their final USA tour. 

 

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Gabriel Akhmad Marin is a multi-instumental virtuoso, pioneer of the fretless guitar and a master of ancient Eastern string traditions.  Most well known for his band Consider the Source, this weekend he is bringing a new project, the Gabriel Akhmad Marin Qalb Ensemble, for a special sunrise set. From the jazz clubs of New York City to the vibrant cultural hubs of Istanbul, Gabriel’s work is a seamless fusion of technical virtuosity and deep-rooted tradition. Whether co-leading the progressive power-trio Consider the Source or exploring the microtonal frontiers of the Dutar and Tanbour, his mission is to bridge the gap between Western innovation and Eastern heritage

Derek Gripper has miraculously discovered the ability to bring the dazzling polyrhythmic music of the West African Harp, the kora, onto the classical guitar. Egberto Gismonti, Bach and Keith Jarrett are all elements of his musical DNA. We hang with Derek and he treats us to some live performances and stories of how he happened upon discovering this new world of music for the guitar.  Derek will be performing a tribuite to Toumani Diabate at the Ragas Live Festival 2026, October 17-18.  It is sold out, but you can listen and watch to all 24 hours of the festival online at www.ragaslive.com  

  [Originally recorded in March 2019] 

Photo: Simon Attwell

Sami Abu Shumays is one of the leading Arab violinists in the US, and a vocalist. In this episode, he shares the story of Umm Kulthum, the legendary voice of Egypt and the Arab world.

Sami will bring A Tribute to Umm Kulthum – Gholobt Asaleh fi Ruhi to the Ragas Live Festival 2026, featuring Zahra AlZubaidi, Zafer Tawil, Mohamed Salah, Sami Abu Shumays, and The Umm Kulthum Workshop.  

Grammy Award winning pianist Kevin Hays has a new album out on the new label AHT Records, Live at the Stone  We hang out with Kevin and fellow keyboard legend Craig Taborn before they take the stage at The Jazz Gallery.  Kevin has worked with countless legends like Sonny Rollins, Roy Haynes, Joe Henderson, Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, and Kurt Rosenwinkel. Brad Mehldau, Lionel Loueke and Steve Gadd.  A prolific musician Craig Taborn has performed and recorded on over 200 recordings with jazz luminaries like Roscoe Mitchell, Dave Holland, Chris Potter, and John Zorn.  He is the recipient of the 2025 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship and has an exciting new trio with Tomeka Reid and Chess Smith. 

Kevin has joined AHT Records to release a new live recording captured from his residency at The Stone in NYC in the summer of 2024.

The limited edition vinyl features captivating duet performances with multi-keyboardist Craig Taborn, guitarist, Gilad Hekselman, saxophonist Ben Wendel, and drummer Kenny Wollesen.

Mustafa Abu Muhammad's family have been practitioners of the ecstatic, Sufi musical tradition of Qawwali for 800 years.  His uncle and his father lead the most popular Qawwali party in Pakistan, Fareed Ayaz & Abu Muhammad Qawwal, of which Mustafa is a member and he is the leader of Mustafa Abu Muhammad Qawwal currently touring the United States.  In this interview, Mustafa shares the fascinating oral history passed down within his family about the origin of the first Qawwali party in Dehli led by Amir Khusro in the 13th century. It's a riveting tale! This episode was expertly translated on the fly by guest host Bhaskar Ghosh, Executive Director of the Society of Arts and Culture of South Asia (Palo Alto), a major force behind the Ragas Live Festival and NYC Radio Live. Mustafa will be performing in the grand finale of 24 hours of music at the Ragas Live Festival October 17-18th at Pioneer Works in Red Hook Brooklyn.  Tickets are extremely limited. 

Smokey Hormel and Charlie Burnham have played with countless legends of music, like Johnny Cash, James "Blood" Ulmer, Tom Waits, Norah Jones, Cassandra Wilson, Beck, Adele, Justin Timberlake, to name a few. They are also the nucleus of Smokey's Roundup, the eclectic Western Swing band that has been holding it down on Wednesdays at Sunny's Bar, in Red Hook, Brooklyn for over 2 decades.  If you're looking for a soulful experience in New York City, this is the place to go.   We chat about their shared history, the joyful music they create and celebrate, and many of the legends they've encountered along the way.  

Born in Iran in 1979, Ehsan Matoori is one of the leading Santoor virtuosos of today. Ehsan discusses the long and deep history, dating back thousands of years, of Persian music and poetry, his own journey, and his exciting new project, The Rite of Strings, whose debut album, Dust and the Moon will be released August 28th by Bright Shiny Things.

For a deeper dive into Persian Music, here are a few artists Ehsan recommends.

• Mohammad Reza Shajarian – widely considered the greatest master of Persian classical vocal music.
• Hossein Alizadeh – one of Iran's most influential composers and tar/setar virtuosos.
• Faramarz Payvar – the legendary master who shaped the modern tradition of the Persian santoor.
• Parviz Meshkatian – an extraordinary composer and Persian santoor virtuoso whose music continues to inspire many of us.
• Pashang Kamkar – one of the great masters of the Persian santoor.
• Ardavan Kamkar – one of today's greatest Persian santoor virtuosos. 
• Kayhan Kalhor – a master of kamancheh who has introduced Persian music to audiences around the world.

Photo: Jacob Carlson

The roots of rock and roll began in the 1930s, when jazz musicians looked for venues to play beyond the reach of mob-controlled clubs in the North. A promoter laundering his numbers-running revenue expanded this network of jook joints, barns, taverns, and luxurious clubs across the South, creating the Chitlin' Circuit that would bring the world Little Richard, Louis Jordan, James Brown, B.B. King and even Jimi Hendrix.

The story is as wild as the music, and no one tells it better than our guest, Preston Lauterbach, author of The Chitlin' Circuit and the Road to Rock and Roll.

A 2016 interview and live performance with one of the great families of rhythm led by Grammy Award winner and Shakti percussionist T.H. Vikku Vanyakram, his son Selvaganesh (who would also win a Grammy with Shakti) and grandson Swamnithan Selvaganesh.   Recorded at the East Indian Music Academy, this is a legendary lineup: T.H. Vikku Vanyakram, ghatam;  Uma Shankar, ghatam; Selva Ganesh, kanjira and konokol; Swaminathan Selvaganesh, kanjira and konnakol; A. Ganesan, morsing; Avirodh Sharma, tabla. We are rebroadcasting today to say happy 84th birthday to Vikkuji! TH Vikku Vanyakram Rhythm has always been a quintessential facet of Carnatic music, and in the modern generation of percussionists, perhaps no other individual has mastered the intricacies and the laya endowments of the ghatam to such a great degree as Sri Thetakudi Harihara Vinayakram. T.H. Vinayakram, affectionately known as Vikku, has transformed himself into an international celebrity with his imaginative and beautiful drumming on the ghatam. Well known as a Carnatic artiste, Vikku came to international prominence as part of the famous fusion group Shakti, and went on to participate in many other international fusion music projects. V. Selvaganesh Selvaganesh Vinyakaram is the world’s premiere performer on the kanjira, the South Indian frame drum. Like  T.H. Vinayakram, he is also a veteran of the fusion group Shakti with John McLaughlin winning a Grammy with the ensemble.  Swaminathan takes forward his father Selvaganesh's efforts in making the diminutive kanjira be heard across the globe through his cross-genre collaborations. Under his grandfathers guidance and training, he brings out the mysticism of bhakti music and the traditional charm of classical notes through the kanjira beats. Avirodh Sharma is one of the leading Tabla Players from the West Indies and the United States. He is featured on Zee TV, TV Asia, NPR radio on the leonard lopatte show, NY Daily News, and at the end of 2015 making an appearance on the Starz Network Season Premiere, "flesh and bone"..

John Medeski is one of the most versatile pianists and keyboard players of our time.  Already gigging with world class musicians like Jaco Pastorius in High School and connecting with greats like Billy Higgins, Dewey Redman and Bob Moses in college, he landed in the adventurous downtown New York scene of in the 1990.  That fertile artistic environment is where he connected with and formed the the exploratory groove trio Medeski Martin and Wood  We chat about the downtown scene, his projects with John Zorn, Julian Lage, Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield, and the inspiration of keeping it analog.  

 

Photo: Michael Bloom

This is Anand Avirmed and Mari Tanka's set performed live at the 2025 Ragas Live Festival on October 18–19, 2025, at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn, New York.

 

Anand's set featured traditional Mongolian throat singing (Khoomei) and playing the Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle), along with Mari Tanaka creating acoustic drones. 

 

Audio: Mixed and Mastered by Parag Deshpande

Drummer and composer Ra Kalam Bob Moses has had an extraordinary career working with just about everybody.  Here's a partial list: Pat Metheny, Charles Mingus, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Jim, Larry Coryell, Dave Liebman, Gary Burton, Keith Jarrett,  Herbie Hancock, Jack DeJohnette, Jaco Pastorius,  Michael Brecker,  Sheila Jordan, Bobby McFerrin,  Bill Frisell, John Scofield,  Dave Holland, Charlie Haden, Hermeto Pascoal, Danilo Perez, David Sanchez, Chucho Valdes, Savion Glover,  Nana Vasconcelos, Obo Addy, John Medeski, Vernon Reid, Pharoah Sanders. He's coming up to town to celebrate his longtime friend and collaborator Celebrating Jack DeJohnette: Sound Travels August 9th at UPAC, the Ulster Performing Arts Center. A prolific artist, you can discover his latest recordings at his website. 

5 AM set of the 24 hour Ragas Live Festival at Pioneer Works 10.23.22

Kroba (saxophone and analog synth)

 

Originally broadcast on WKCR-FM

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The Ragas Live Festival was born out of these increasingly ambitious radio shows, and began in the WKCR studio in 2012 when 50 musicians volunteered to play continuous sets for 24 hours, co-creating our historic first broadcast!

After "the end of the world" in the 1930s, the greatest patron of art in the world became the United States Governement.  The impact of this would surprise anyone who digs into the history.  

John P. Murphy takes us on a wild ride of New Deal art and the surprising twists and turns that would end up ushering in a new dawn of culture in the United Sates.  John P. Murphy is a Curator of Prints and Drawings at The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College. A scholar of American art, he is the author of New Deal Art: Culture and Crisis in the Great Depression

 

Today Hariprasad Chaurasia, the greatest maestro of the bansuri, the bamboo flute, turns 88.  We celebrate by sharing our 2018 interview with Pd. Chaurasia conducted at his home/gurukul in Bombay.  We also chat with Jay Gandhi, his senior disciple, and an unbelievable musician himself, who shares his insights on the life and music of his guru.  

WKCR will be playing the music of Hariprasad Chaurasia for 12 continuous hours from 6AM-6PM on his birthday (Wednesday July 1, 2026).  Jay Gandhi and I will be hosting the noon-3pm slot sharing choice recordings that span his career.   

Dr. Mu Qian is an ethnomusicologist, music producer, performing arts curator, and writer.  He's traveled to places few others have and shares his recordings from Western China, South East Asia, and beyond.  

You can learn more about Mu and his research on the music of the Dong people in this article he wrote for Simithsonian Magazine Mu has curated world music concerts in Asia, Europe, and North America. He recorded and produced the CD "Everyone Listen Close" by Yandong Grand Singers, which was selected by Transglobal World Music Chart as the Best Album of Asia & Pacific of the 2019-2020 season. He hosts serial radio shows on BBC3 to introduce music from different parts of China, and contributes to the Songlines magazine. As an ethnomusicologist, Mu has given lectures at University of California, Los Angeles, International Institute for Asian Studies (Leiden), and Royal Holloway, University of London. He has published articles on European Journal of Musicology and Central Asian Survey, and translated into Chinese Alan P. Merriam’s book Anthropology of Music (People’s Music Publishing House, Beijing, 2010). 

Cosmas Magaya was one of the masters of the Shona Mbira, the magical trance music of Zimbabwe.   Recorded in 2011, originally our 15th episode of NYC Radio Live, he sprinkled our conversation with musical examples and performances.   Cosmas was featured on the classic album the Soul of the Mbira (1978) in and played a big role in the research in the accompanying books as well.  He co-author a book called Mbira's Restless Dance with musicologist paul Berliner.  

This was one of the first NYC Radio Live Podcasts ever, we recorded in 2011  

Tony Trischka has been called 'the father of modern bluegrass' though he claims here there are 'many fathers and a few mothers.' Either way he expanded the range of the banjo like few others.

 

Photo by Gregory Heisler

Billy Martin (a.k.a. illy B), is a genre-bending drummer, composer and visual artist known for his work with Medeski Martin & Wood, John Lurie’s Lounge Lizards, and others.  We chat about his early days connecting with folks like Bob Moses, Jaco Pastorius and the percussion training that made him such an original drummer. 

Today is Miles Davis' centenial and we celebrate by sharing interviews with Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield, and George Wein, all who worked closely with Miles.  Jack DeJohnette joined Miles in 1968 and appeared on classic albums like Bitches Brew, On the Corner, A Tribute to Jack Johnson, Big Fun, and Live Evil. Our interview was recoreded in 2010. John Scofield worked with Miles for several years in the 1980's documented in albums like Star People, Decoy, and Your're Under Arrest. This conversation was recorded in 2026.  George Wein, the founder of Newport Jazz  and Folk Festival, began working with Miles in the 1950's and later yanked him out of retirement in the 1980's . We recorded this at George's apartment sometime between 2005-2010.  These 3 legends share their memories of Miles Davis. 

 

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Jeremiah Chiu is a synthesist and visual artist.  He brings his unique organic/electronic aesthetic to the experimental supergroup SML and a series of beautiful solo and collaborative albums on the International Anthem label.   We chat about his Chicago roots, his creative process, and saying something rather than everything.

 

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In 1939, a group of children aged 10-16 would sneak out of an institute for the blind in Taledega, Alabama and sing for the Lord - and for donations.  These Blind Boys of Alabama would go on to become one of the most celebrated gospel groups of all time, winning 6 Grammy awards and working with the biggest names in music.  Current lead singer Ricky McKinnie and author Preston Lauterbach, who co-wrote Spirit of the Century: Our Own Story with the Blind Boys of Alabama tell the incredible, unlikely, inside history of this ensemble that is still going strong more than 85 years later. 

 

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Two time Grammy Award winning bansuri maestro Rakesh Chaurasia and tabla pheonom Salar Nader, are two of the most outstanding musicians of their generation. Both child prodigies, Rakesh began his studies with his uncle, Hariprasad Chaurasia at 4 years and Salar began his studies with Zakir Hussain at the age 7.   Rakesh toured the world with Zakir Hussain, Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer and won those Grammys for their album "As We Speak."  We chat with two musicians about where their music came from and where it's going. 

 

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Judith Owen is a vocalist, bandleader, podcaster, and champion of jazz divas who have not yet been given their proper due, like her heroes Nellie Lutcher and Julia Lee.  We caught up with Judith on her way to bring her J.O. Big Band to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (April 30) and a date with her Gentlemen Callers at the Cutting Room in New York City (May 7).  

Photo: Steve Rapport photography 

 

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10:30AM set of the 24 hour Ragas Live Festival at Pioneer Works 10.19.24

Gamelan Dharma Swara is one of the leading Balinese gamelan and dance groups in the United States.

 

Catch them live at the next Second Sundays: May 2026 at Pioneer Works

Sunday, May 10, 2026

4pm-5.30pm

 

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Stanley Jordan is one of the most original and unique guitarists of our time.  In August of 2012 he swung by the WKCR-FM studio DJ'd, performed a solo set, talked music and philosophy, performed live and jammed with all of us including the great guitarist from Mali and Niger, Abdoulaye Alhassane.

It was an amazing opportunity to spend time with a creative force who approaches music, science, and life in his own way.  

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George Wein was one of the most influential producers in the history of American music.  Founder of the Newport Jazz Festival, Newport Folk Festival, and New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, he lived a life amongst the greatest musicians of our time.  He wasn't a bad pianist and singer either! We share a coversation I recorded sometime between 2005-2010 at his home in Manhattan, where he told stories of the Duke, Pops, Monk, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, LesterYoung, Billie Holiday and much more.

We chat with Joe Westerlund about his life changing experiences with Milford Graves, his early work with Megafaun, and the inspiration of the music of the ituri Rainforest on all of his work. Make sure to check out his latest albums Curiosities from the Drift.  Grotto a trumpet/drums duo with Trever Hagen and  Setting S/T a trio with Jaime Fennelly and Nathan Bowles, to be released on Thrill Jockey on April 24th.

Booker Stardrum whimsically co-founded SML with bassist Anna Butterss, synthesist Jeremiah Chiu, saxophonist Josh Johnson and guitarist Gregory Uhlmann. Their recent releases How You Been and Small, Medium, Large have squarely placed them as one of the most exciting groups in improvised music/jazz today.   A literal heir of the legacy of Harry Parch and his parents, floutist Stefani Starin musician/composer/instrument creator Dean Drummond Booker has been releasing his own creative output of music including his latest Close-up On The Outside, Rafting/Tall Grass (with Photay) and 2021's Crater.

John Scofield is one of the great guitarists of out time.  The multi-Grammy award winning musician, has played with countless legends like Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Miles Davis, Billy Cobham, Charles Mingus, Tony Williams, Herbie Hancock, Mavis Staples, Charlie Haden, Phil Lesh, Dave Holland, Medeski, Martin and Wood...and on and on! John shares his story of how he got here and what he learned along the way from creating magic with all these legends. 

One of the great percussionists of our time, the 2024 Grammy Award-winninga "Kanjira King," began a decades long mentorship with Zakir Hussain in 1990. He tells us one of the first things Zakir did was open his ears to artists like Weather Report, Frank Zappa, and Miles Davis. Don't miss his story about how Zakir tricked him into auditioning for John McLaughlin and Shakti!

Béla Fleck is a 19 time Grammy award winning artist.  He is recognized as the musician who has expanded the possibilities of his instrument, the banjo, and he keeps pushing own limits creatively. Béla is coming to NYC to celebrate his collaborator, the great Zakir Hussain at Carnegie Hall on March 6th.  

In this special conversation with the reknowned Sarod maestro, Alam Khan, we dig deep into what he learned form his father Ali Akbar Khan, family legends about his grandfather Allauddin Khan and what to expect at the upcoming concert at Carnegie Hall.   Alam will be at Carnegie on March 8th, 2026 celebrating the great tabla maestro as part of the  Zakir Hussain Eternal: Celebrating 75 Years of Genius concert. This interview was recorded in February 6, 2026

A 2011 in-studio musical interview with Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar—torchbearer of an unbroken, 20-generation Dhrupad lineage dating back to the 15th century.