Jacob Collier: NPR Tiny Desk Concert

NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert usually forces the band to reduce their format to create a more intimate performance. Music whiz Jacob Collier didn’t exactly take that route, though it’s one of my favorite performances from the series.

Collier enlisted a stellar band to back him up – Becca Stevens, Christian Euman, MARO, and bassist Robin Mullarkey – to perform songs from his latest release, Djesse Vol. 2. Mullarkey starts things off on the U-Bass on “Make Me Cry” before switching to a P-bass on “Feel” for a thick, neo-soul vibe.

Collier rips it up on the U-Bass to start “It Don’t Matter” before handing back to Mullarkey. In fact, each member of the band switches instrumentation or doubles to give a varied orchestration. Suffice it to say, the amount of musicianship behind that tiny desk is astounding.

You’ll probably want to watch this one twice.