Imagine if you will a bustling train station in North Africa ...perhaps Marrakesh...perhaps Tangier. A train comes to a screeching halt and people begin de-boarding. A twenty-something female gets off the train dragging a small suitcase behind her. In her other hand she has a guitar case festooned with stickers from a various tourist destinations worldwide. She also has a backpack on. A local cabbie asks her if she needs a lift somewhere...she declines. Behind her, a twenty-something male is just stepping down onto the train platform...He is ALSO lugging a small suitcase, carrying a SMALL guitar case with matching stickers and he has a backpack on. ...it is apparent that that they are travelling together. They ask for directions to the market and are informed that it is a mere 2 blocks away. They set off to the market and upon arrival they choose a street corner and drop their belongings. With a few clicks their backpacks convert to small stools. They sit and open their suitcases, each one containing a small "lunchbox"-type battery-powered amplifier. She opens her guitar case to reveal what appears to be an electric guitar...it has the right shape but with a sound hole where the front pickup should be. She pulls a patch cord from the case, plugs it into the guitar and then to the amp...she quickly tunes the guitar up. The male, for his part has pulled a small acoustic bass with rubber strings...he quickly patches it into his amp and tunes up as well. They both leave their guitar cases open to encourage tips. People...mostly tourists are beginning to congregate around them. Suddenly the female calls out a brisk 4 count and they launch into an instrumental which has the crowd mesmerized!...They are both PHENOMENAL players...her hands gliding effortlessly over the length of the fretboard and coaxing virtually every sound imaginable out of that freakish guitar...everything from the brightest, CLEAN acoustic guitar tones to the sweetest electric CRUNCH!...It is apparent that they have been doing this routine for quite some time! People begin tossing coins into their guitar cases en-masse....They play perhaps 10 songs and announce they will be taking a break. As the female is retrieving the tips from the guitar cases she is mesmerized by the sound of some strange instrument seemingly emanating from around the corner ..She tells her companion to watch the gear and she hurries off in the direction of the sound. Turning the corner she sees ANOTHER crowd of people. That SOUND is coming from the center of the crowd...She politely makes her way to the front of the crowd and finds the source of that amazing sound. A young African is playing a peculiar-looking stringed instrument the likes of which she has never seen...or heard. There is an American-looking woman standing next to her and she asks: " What IS that instrument he is playing??" "It is an OUD" the woman replies with a French accent " and this young man is the finest player in the parts!" The young African smiles up at the both. The guitarist smiles back, reaches into her pocket and drops several coins into a tin can at his side. He bows to her as she runs off in search of her companion. Upon her return she tells her companion to grab all the gear. "YOU HAVE to come hear this!!" she tells him..."I've never heard ANYTHING like it!" They pack up their gear and make their way to where the young African is playing...and they make their way to the front of the crowd. The bass player is astonished at what he is hearing. As the African finishes a song the guitarist gestures to the young man and asks if he would mind if they join him. With a bow of his head and a "Salaam" in broken English he replies: "I would be honored!" The quickly set up their stools...sit down, plug into their amps and begin playing ...The crowd has now tripled in size and they are astonished at how these seemingly complete strangers are managing to play such incredible music. The tips are now pouring in and people are literally dancing in the streets. Suddenly an Asian man arrives on scene toting what APPEARS to be some kind of BOWED instrument, SIMILAR to a violin, but a very different shape...longer with only one string. The African smiles up at him. Clearly they must know each other as the Asian sits immediately and begins playing along. They finish a song and the guitarist asks the African "What IS that instrument" In broken English the African replies: "it is an ERHU...an ancient Chinese instrument, and you have the good fortune of being in the company of one of the finest players in the world! The Erhu player launches into another song and lo and behold, a young Indian man arrives on scene with a largish, odd shaped bag over his shoulder. Both the African and the Asian smile up at him as he pulls a sitar out of the bag, sits down cross-legged upon the cobbled sidewalk and starts playing along. The crowd is positively gob-smacked with the realization that what they are taking in is something very rare...and the applause at the end of each song is thunderous. And HERE on display gentle reader is the power of music to bridge gaps ...of religion...skin colour...culture,..socio-economic levels, and all manner of things which divide people. And here as well is a visual setting for our newest recording entitled "When World Meet" .This one is a rare (for us) instrumental which is co-composed by Jim Mulveney and Dan Thibodeau. It features the ALWAYS scintillating guitar work of Dan Thibodeau with Jim on electric guitar, mandolin, oud, erhu, sitar and drum programming. Yours truly on bass and percussion here. So have a seat down on the curb here ...enjoy the aroma of coffee roasting in a nearby stall and enjoy "When Worlds Meet"!! den