We've had tomorrow night's Zakir Hussain concert circled in our calendar ever since the 2011-2012 Symphony Center season was announced a year ago February, and we've had our eyes peeled for Hussain's Chicago stops ever since we saw him live for the first time at the last Masters of Percussion show two years ago. more ›

From a technical proficiency standpoint, there are two types of talented musicians. The first, the regular ol' talent, is special but relatively common. The rarely-seen second contingent consists of musicians whose astonishing command is tied to movement so relaxed and fluid it's like they took up their instruments in utero. For a succinct illustration of this difference, check ut this video of a drum battle between drum legend (and Chicagoan!) Gene Krupa and drum god Buddy Rich. Zakir Hussain, master of the tabla - two small tuned hand drums, one wood, one metal - falls into the latter group. Like Rich, his playing is paradoxically calm. As an added bonus, Hussain couples his eye-popping speed with sensitive musicianship. more ›

Though musician Keith Harris’ roots are firmly planted in Chicago, he’s literally all over the map. He brings home the bacon touring as the drummer with the Black Eyed Peas and moonlights as a hip-hop producer, remixer, songwriter and even talent scout. But don’t mistake this for career A.D.D., though. Having a hand in every aspect of the biz has made him a prolific music man, well-versed in classic theory and practice with an urban edge that’s given him an incredibly versatile skill set. The music he works to create is a fusion of different genres, vibes and styles, much like the man himself. The 2008 hit “American Boy,” which he co-wrote, is a prime example of this blurring of the lines with it’s hip hop-py lyrical flow overtop a laid-back, breezy, roller-skating on a sunny day musical feel. And people seem to like it, considering it’s up for "Song of the Year" at this Sunday’s Grammy Awards. We chatted with Keith just before he jetted off to L.A. to wait for his name to be read from the envelope, and we found even with his recent success, he’s still down to earth. But he’s nowhere near settled. more ›