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The 50 Best NPR Tiny Desks
The series has grown in ambition and execution, but the spirit of intimate discovery remains.
One need only compare early sets from Laura Gibson and Weird Al to the sprawling ensembles brought by the likes of Usher and Juvenile to see dramatic differences in production value.But through trial and error, NPR’s talented producers and engineers have managed to adapt the space into one of the most coveted bookings in the country. Shabaka Hutchings’s sax performances often serve as the nonverbal voice of his bands, a quality that Boilen calls his “reedy lyricism.” The musician showcases it in this 2019 set with his electro-cosmic jazz trio Comet is Coming, which features a relentless assault of horn, synth, and drums big enough to fill an arena. He recruited New Orleans OGs Trombone Shorty and Alvin Ford on ’bone and drums, Late Show vet turned Grammy winner Jon Batiste flew in from London to play melodica, and the Louisiana Philharmonic contributed strings.
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