Rakesh Chaurasia: I can’t think of any album that comes close to this

Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer and Rakesh Chaurasia

Veteran flautist Rakesh Chaurasia and musicians, banjo great Béla Fleck and bassist Edgar Meyer, recall the former's appointment to their quartet (also including Zakir Hussain), very differently. While Chaurasia often speaks of his struggles to comprehend the genre of bluegrass that the duo was familiar with, they, in turn, heap praise on his ability to seamlessly integrate himself with their style. As the quartet has its eyes set on three Grammy titles - Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, Best Global Music Performance and Best Instrumental Composition - mid-day connects with Chaurasia to discuss his first nomination at the prestigious gala.

We've heard both Zakir Hussain and Edgar Meyer speak of your association with the group, but we'd love to hear your version.
[They were] performing somewhere and I happened to be there. They've worked as a trio, and Zakir bhai took a chance and had me jam together with them. He said, ‘Let's see if your instrument and thought process work with ours'. Theirs is a very different style of music. It is intense. To understand where Béla Fleck comes from, and [comprehend the genre of] bluegrass, took time. Edgar ji [has mastered] symphony and western classical music. Considering the way they have blended their styles, it took me time to understand [it]. We jammed from morning until evening. On another occasion, they were performing at a bluegrass festival in San Francisco, and invited me on stage as a guest. I played four songs with them for an audience of 70,000. They liked it, and decided to have me on board. We subsequently toured America and India. Then we recorded this album, As We Speak, in Nashville.

You've previously spoken about taking a while to get a grip on the genre of bluegrass, but Meyer has suggested you simply fit right in from the word go.
My instrument is pentatonic and has a limited [musical scale]. So, at a time, I can just play one note. But the flute gels with all kinds of genres. I kept playing it in my style and it appealed to them. Sometimes, things were tricky - I'd have to hold one or two flutes [at a time] for a single piece, because such was the composition. It's challenging, but fun. As we go along, I'm understanding exactly what needs to be done to make every show better.

What aspects make this album a cohesive musical piece? And why, according to you, have some songs, like Motion, which has also earned a separate nomination, been the highlights?
Motion has been composed in such a way that it is complete - we cannot add even one note. It's composed in such a way that if a musician listens to it he will comprehend the difficult parts and rhythmic cycle. It is an outstanding piece. Edgar ji has composed it beautifully and we try our best to [live up to it] on stage because counting, maintaining the pitch, and [using the] flute at the right time [is challenging]. If I forget something, the whole piece can go for a toss.

What was your reaction when you first heard of the nomination?
We were sitting in the bus, and suddenly, we started getting messages. We didn't initially understand it, but eventually, we learned of Zakir bhai's nominations, including one for Shakti. It was a really happy moment. We were also relatively free that day so we went to a restaurant to celebrate.

You're also travelling with the same group as we speak. What are the conversations you'll are having about it?
We hope to win it. It's a unique album and I can't think of anything else that fits in the same category. The back-to-back concerts that we are in also make us better, musically. Right now, we often lose track of which city we are in. We're either in the bus, or on stage.

Considering the diverse range of projects you've been part of, what has been your biggest learning from being part of this group?
There's such a big world of learning here. When you come from the classical genre, you can do as you please on stage. But, when collaborating with Western instruments and musicians from the West, one needs to become better at understanding them. In this album, no dubbing was involved. Everything on the album was recorded live. It's hard work. We have to practice a lot to think about how we can improve each day. I've done many projects, but trying to understand what is being expected of me is interesting. We try to bring out the best in each other and have fun while at it. It's an educational project for me. It's my first Grammy nomination. I'm thrilled.