Yacouba Sissoko is a master kora player from the djeli tradition—a centuries-old lineage of musical storytellers who served as the historians and memory-keepers of their people. Percussionist Idrissa Koné, also from Mali, comes from a family whose traditional role is to carry news and stories to everyone within walking distance. Grammy Award-winning cellist Mike Block has been a member of Yo-Yo Ma's Silkroad Ensemble since 2005 and has earned a reputation as one of the most adventurous cross-cultural collaborators in American music.

Together, these three musicians don't so much blend traditions as let them speak directly to one another—kora and cello trading melodies, talking drum and calabash driving rhythms that are irresistibly in motion. Expect music that is ancient and immediate, rooted and restless, and alive with the joy of discovery.