At 34, John Legend has sold millions of records, won nine Grammys, collaborated with many of the biggest stars in music (Jay-Z, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, The Roots, et al), and achieved the kind of statesmanlike musical-ambassador status usually afforded to artists twice his age. He is, in short, the sort of star who doesn’t usually perform behind desks in offices.

But once we’d wedged a piano back there, Legend sounded perfectly at home. His rich, soulful voice never suffered for a lack of processing and production as he performed three songs for NPR Music and a few hundred of our rapt coworkers, loved ones and hangers-on.

Though he recently released a fine new album titled
Love in the Future, from which “Made to Love” and
“All of Me” were drawn for this set, Legend took special
care to provide the backstory for “Move,” which he’d
recorded for the soundtrack to 12 Years a Slave. Legend
executive-produced that soundtrack himself — don’t be
surprised if you wind up hearing him perform “Move”
again on Oscar night — and recorded the album version
with U.K. musician Fink. Here, though, it’s stripped
down considerably, with just Legend’s piano and the
acoustic guitar of guest Bobby Anderson providing
accompaniment.

Legend doesn’t play settings this intimate very often, and it’s not as if he has anything to prove at this point in his career. But, just in case he did, he retains a busker’s lung capacity, the charisma of a born star and the easygoing grace of a performer fit for any stage — even a tiny one.

–STEPHEN THOMPSON

“All Of Me”

Bob Boilen, Denise DeBelius;