Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain and Edgar Meyer

Three masters of their own styles and compositions ― the incomparable Fleck on banjo; Hussain, the world's premiere tabla artist for decades now; and the immaculate Meyer on double bass and cello ― come together for this smart, intrepid release. Long-time collaborators Fleck and Meyer brought Hussain in to complete this trio; the record sandwiches the titular three-track concerto between three cuts that open and three that follow. On "Babar," Eastern-European folk conventions collide with those of Asia. "Out of the Blue" allows the clicks of Hussain's tabla, the scale-dancing delight of Fleck's banjo and the rumblings of Meyer's bass the dynamic play to phrase and invent. The triple concerto itself ― three sublime parts in 28 minutes, recorded in January 2009 with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, conducted by maestro Leonard Slatkin ― contains its share of, what some will find, trying transitions. But it's a superb combination of journey and tension, altogether a fine dramatic venue for Fleck's unique picking, Meyer's deep tones or Hussain's trembling fingers.