Many jazz artists have long been fascinated with integrating classical music from the Indian subcontinent but Fareed Haque, a virtuosic jazz guitarist of Pakistani heritage, and The Flat Earth Ensemble have achieved an especially effective fusion of these two sets of musical elements.

Joining Haque is an ensemble of musicians who are virtuosi in their own right – Greg Fundis on drums, Willerm Delisfort on keyboards, Alex Austin on bass, Indrajit Banerjee on sitar, and Subrata Bhattacharya on tabla. Haque may have front billing but his approach is reminiscent of Miles Davis who opens up the musical spaces for his fellow musicians to shine in soli and in their back-and-forth musical conversations.

For example, Fundis and Bhattacharya may engage in rhythmic battle on drums and tabla, treating audiences to an exhilarating demonstration of how two musicians from distant origins can, indeed, speak the same musical language but yet make it more enthralling with their unique accents.

For Utah Arts Festival patrons, the experience is not to be missed. The group will close the festival tomorrow (June 27) at 9:45 p.m. on the Festival Stage and the Jazz/World Music mini-fest which includes Desceration of the Johnny People performing at 8 p.m. on the Festival Stage and the local jazz group Daniel Day Trio at 9:15 p.m. at the Earth Garden Cafe.

The ensemble can take a jazz groove and inflect it with Eastern modal melodies and complex rhythmic accents often turning what might sound like rudimentary musical elements into a fascinatingly complex yet completely infectious fresh statement of artistic expression. And, then there are the unexpected bonuses of even familiar combinations such as Banerjee on sitar and Bhattacharya on table who show off their masterful skills with the right sort of bravura that brings audiences further into the joy of their music-making. And then there is Haque, who has studied with such jazz greats as Joe Pass. At times audience members will see the influences of other guitar masters including Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton.

The musical spectrum is immensely broad. For example, Bengali Bud showcasing Haque’s technique as well Banerjee’s sitar work which echoes the guitar’s lines, stays on the Indian subcontinent with tabla being the only percussion. And then there is Blu Hindoo with a dominating soul jazz groove that brings Eastern melodies and a few rhythmic elements into the mix.

Haque graciously agreed to answer a few questions via email about his music and the ensemble’s appearance at the festival as well as details about their forthcoming tours.

SE: Increasingly, many performers and ensembles eschew any genre or constraining classifications and characterizations, preferring to infuse their music and performances instead with a healthy sense of pluralism and creative independence. Any comments specific to your work would be greatly appreciated here.

FH: I don’t really believe in avoiding labels. FEE (Flat Earth Ensemble) is a mix of Hindustani folk music and soul jazz. I think artists who are afraid of defining are often creating excuses for a lack of clarity of vision.

SE: What makes the arts festival venue particularly appealing for performers and, more specifically, for the Utah Arts Festival appearance?

FH: Larger venues, with good sound and lighting provide an excellent format for ‘concert music’ as well as a comfortable environment for dancing and listening and participating in a live performance. Concert halls can be too formal, and clubs sometimes too intimate for audiences to feel relaxed and to be able to experience music in whatever ways they choose.

SE: What plans do you have for tours, special appearances, recording, etc. continuing further into the summer and well into 2011?

Note: The following comes from Phil Simon, who represents the band.

There is a lot to talk about in the Fareed Haque world. This tour that includes the Salt Lake City Utah Arts Festival also has included appearances in Denver, Carbondale, Telluride, Crested Butte, and, lastly, in Monroe, Utah at Mystic Hot Springs (on Monday, June 28). There the band will be laying down a live show that will be videotaped for a future release.

In July, Haque and the Flat Earth Ensemble will play two nights at the famed Greenmill Jazz Club in Chicago, a frequent stop for the group. Later in July, Haque will join his other band (Garaj Mahal) for two nights in California including the Trinity Tribal Stomp Festival.

In August, Haque will premiere a new band – Math Games – at Club Blu Jazz in Chicago with Hauqye on Moog guitar. Joining him will be Greg Fundis on drums and Alex Austin on bass and will feature music composed specifically for the Moog Guitar, which combines a traditional Moog synth filter with new guitar technologies that open up new styles and sounds for guitarists. Considered a revolutionary breakthrough by many of the world’s best guitarists, it has best described as not being a true guitar synthesizer but a hybrid with a sonic palette that is only limited by the musician’s artistic imagination.

Garaj Mahal will continue touring California and Oregon including stops at a funk festival near Lake Tahoe and the Northwest World and Reggae Festival in Oregon.

Haque will travel to Florida this fall to begin work on an online/video guitar lesson course available in DVD and CD-ROM format. And, bookings are filling up for 2011.

In other words, things never stay still in the Fareed Haque universe.