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Burt Bacharach & Daniel Tashian: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music's Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It's the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space.


Burt Bacharach is a legend in the world of popular music. I'll name a few songs, in case you didn't know: He co-wrote "What the World Needs Now Is Love," "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" and "Alfie." Melody is his strength. At age 92, he's teamed up here with Daniel Tashian, who's written songs for Lee Ann Womack, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, and more recently with Kacey Musgraves. It was the album Daniel co-wrote with Kacey Musgraves, Golden Hour, that bonded Burt and Daniel. They met the day after Daniel received a Grammy for that record.

Daniel's strength is in his lyrics, and you can listen to how Burt Bacharach and Daniel Tashian meld their talents of melody and lyricism in this Tiny Desk (home) concert. The songs come from their recent EP, Blue Umbrella, which they recorded together in Nashville before the pandemic. But for this Tiny Desk, the two were thousands of miles apart. And though there's distance between them, their recent friendship feels like a deep bond. A love of songcraft brought these tremendous talents together, writing songs of friendship, songs that have been a comfort for both of them in these challenging days.

SET LIST

  • "Bells of St. Augustine"
  • "Blue Umbrella"
  • "We Go Way Back"

MUSICIANS

Burt Bacharach: piano; Daniel Tashian: vocals

CREDITS

Video by: Rowdy Domstead; Audio by: Daniel Tashian; Producer: Bob Boilen; Audio Mastering Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Video Producer: Morgan Noelle Smith; Associate Producer: Bobby Carter; Executive Producer: Lauren Onkey; Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

Copyright 2024 NPR

In 1988, a determined Bob Boilen started showing up on NPR's doorstep every day, looking for a way to contribute his skills in music and broadcasting to the network. His persistence paid off, and within a few weeks he was hired, on a temporary basis, to work for All Things Considered. Less than a year later, Boilen was directing the show and continued to do so for the next 18 years.