Zakir Hussain is one of the greatest tabla masters the world's ever seen. Trained from early childhood by his father, the late Alla Rakha, he was touring by 11 and was considered a master by 19. But Hussein's interests extended beyond Hindustani classical music: He moved to the United States and began collaborating widely, most notably with John McLaughlin in the fusion supergroup Shakti and Charles Lloyd and Eric Harland as Sangam. His brilliant musicianship and fleet-fingered playing can induce vertigo in even a casual listener, and he's also a producer, composer, and educator.