Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain and Edgar Meyer

Overview

There’s a bit of the sorcerer in Béla Fleck (banjo), Zakir Hussain (tabla), Edgar Meyer (double bass), and their special guest Rakesh Chaurasia (bansuri – Indian flute). Most musicians hope, at most, for proficiency in their chosen form, but these gentlemen move from bluegrass to Western classical to Indian classical to jazz, transmuting genres into something uniquely their own as though they’d gotten hold of the alchemist’s tools that legendarily changed lead into gold. It’s music that transcends description; ineffable, indefinable, and beautiful.

As We Speak

An album that not only showcases the group’s breathtaking abilities as instrumentalists but underscores the wide range of musical influences at their command. Across a dozen tracks, the group glides easily between the cerebral complexity of Indian rhythm and the gut-level groove of a funky bass line, sounding equally at home with the rigors of raga. Adding to that magic is Rakesh Chaurasia, who plays bansuri, an Indian bamboo flute. 

As We Speak will be available for purchase in the Belk Lobby for patrons who attend the concert. All other sales will be available on May 12.