Some critics describe jazz as ‘the sound of surprise’. And just as well, perhaps a double take is an appropriate response when one first learns that jazz pianist Madhav Chari skipped out on a Phd in Mathematics mid way while studying at the University of Illinois, to pursue his passion for jazz. Madhav recalls, “I was taking a walk on campus at the time, when I thought to myself, ‘What would my life be without mathematics, and what would it be without music?” No guesses as to which one he chose. In fact, after an overly gregarious Madhav fixated that the timeline for this particular interview should run over an hour exactly (starting with the photoshoot) and not a minute after — his first concern came for the piano on the site, which he promptly rescued from jammed a tad too tightly against the wall.Of course, one of the first rules of jazz is improvisation and regimented musical notes are often shown the door. So one had to ask, how someone who insisted on meticulous planning at all costs could offer the flip of the coin on stage? Madhav explains, “To be able to improvise, you need proper structure. For me, each rehearsal session is as brutal as a doctor’s diagnosis, if it’s bad then we need to find a cure.” And not so common comparisons such as this one wouldn’t be the first with this Kolkata-born musician. He conducts few workshops each year that link jazz with crisis management, mythology and in the past, even martial arts.After a recent string of workshops through the months of March and April, the Madhav Chari Trio is gearing up for the first Jazz and Blues festival in city to be held this November. Also featuring in the line will be city-based blues band, Incarcerated. “We also do musical outreach programmes for students across varied academic sections, so far I’ve conducted these at IIT Madras, MCC, NIFT, CMC Vellore and the LV Prasad Film and TV Academy.” He elaborates by delivering an impromptu blues composition, tapping his feet to an imaginary beat. “Everybody has creativity inside them,” he stresses, “if you think you don’t have a sense of rhythm, think of your breathing and heartbeat; they’re in perfect sync and if they aren’t, you’re dead.” Talk about driving home a point!Although, rather liberal with his view of jazz in teaching methods, Madhav is clear that ‘fusion’ attempts do not work. “You see, when dealing with music forms from other countries you have to be able to suspend your cultural beliefs, and thereby tap into that energy.” For instance, the musician advises, if you want to learn carnatic music, it would be more authentic sitting by a guru in Chennai or Coimbatore, as aversed to say an NRI sabha in Toronto. He specifies, “Culture can either spur or impede creativity.” Despite the occasional performance however, it is evident that the patronage for the jazz form in Chennai is not as high as in the case of other western genres such as rock and pop. And this jazz veteran has no qualms stating that the spirit of jazz lacks sorely in the city, “Almost all musicians sound mechanical and tired. Maybe, this is simply because it is a lot more difficult to play.” So, what helps him before a stage performance? “I embrace that single moment of silence before a concert. I think it’s very powerful. It energises the audience, it energises the music, and from there we start,” he explains.
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