This Thursday, National Geographic Live! begins its third installment of free concerts from “The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad” program. Co-developed by Jazz at Lincoln Center and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the program’s goal is to foster a cultural exchange in regions of the world that may have limited access to American music and culture.

This year’s lineup includes six jazz quartets and four “urban music” quartets who the organizers feel will reflect the talent and diversity of musicians across the United States. The artists will kick of their tours with performances at National Geographic and New York’s Lincoln Center before heading off to destinations abroad.

Each of the five free Thursday evening concerts, taking place between now and early May, will feature two performers with the early set beginning at 6 p.m. and the second set beginning at 7:15. Highlights include Exegesis, an exciting addition to the jazz scene, and Dana Leong (pictured), who blew us away at last year’s Duke Ellington Jazz Festival. This year’s lineup has not been posted on the National Geographic web site yet, but the full schedule is after the jump.