It’s an unlikely pairing: Cretan lute maestro George Xylouris playing alongside free-form rock drummer Jim White (best known as one-third of Australia’s Dirty Three).

Yet, Xylouris White, as the duo calls themselves, somehow create magic together… loose instrumental jams that transcend boundaries, genres and countries. It’s no wonder that their record together, Goats, debuted at #1 on the Billboard World Albums chart.

During the pair’s visit to The Fretboard Journal, they performed a spacious version of “Suburb” from Goats for us. White played a stripped down drum kit and Xylouris used his lute built by New York’s Manny Boum (email / Instagram). Xylouris is employing a synthetic pick on this tune, though he still keeps a vulture feather pick in his gig bag, as well.