In 2010, we first fell under the spell of an extraordinary duo: Ballaké Sissoko, master of the West African harp or kora, and Vincent Segal, the French cellist. After a couple of albums together they added another duo, accordion virtuoso Vincent Peirani and sax player Emile Parisien, and that quartet has released an album called Les Egarés – those who stray – an apt name for a band that refuses to color within the lines. There is a unity and fluidity in the way the players listen without competing, return musical answers to questioning phrases, and maintain fluidity and a sense of play. The quartet, “a poetic asylum for the two duos” (Bandcamp) – where chamber music, French chanson, West African folk, and jazz all mix freely -  is performing here in the U.S. on tour for the fist time, and they play in-studio.

Set list: 1. Esperanza 2. Orient Express 3. Banja