"Banjo, harp, drums¿what the hell is that?" Those words, spoken by jazz drummer
Antonio Sanchez
at a concert played by himself, banjoist
Béla Fleck
, and harpist
Edmar Castañeda
, the men who made
BEATrio
, this international group's debut album.
Fleck
played with both men previously: He met the Mexican jazz drummer at a tribute to Hindustani percussionist
Alla Rakha
, and then they played together as a duo in Mexico opening for
Dave Matthews
.
and the Colombian harpist played a duo in Riverside Park, and performed similarly at 2019's Big Ears Festival. After the jams with
Sanchez
offered real possibility, they reached out to
Castañeda
and formed a trio. The musicians wrote and improvised together, and in September 2024, they played a 12-night run at New York City's Blue Note club in preparation for these sessions.
includes five compositions by the banjoist, two each by the drummer and the harpist, and two others co-written by
and
. The harp is the bridge here -- he plays the bass and groove with
through a bass amp, and with his left, he's
's partner in harmony and melody.
"Archipelago" was composed by the banjoist and the harpist.
introduces it before
rumbles in, followed by
. It walks a drunken line between Latin jazz, blues, cumbia, and post-bop -- and the harpist takes a killer solo. On
's "Pellucidar," listeners can trace his career through its architecture. After a proggy, knotty trio vamp, the composer begins a solo that cuts across bluegrass, post-bop, chamber music, Latin, funk, and contemporary jazz. His complex double-string runs are breathtaking.
's breaks and textural shifts make time seem elastic. His "Kaleidoscopes" is a three-part dialogue wherein each musician offers different rhythmic and lyric components that engage dramatic group counterpoint amid complex melodics. The dialogue between harp and banjo keeps the drummer on his toes.
's "Countryside" showcases
's bluegrass and jazz playing. The harpist handles the changes with pastoral grace and groove, framed by tom-tom and kick-drum rolls, accents, and fills.
explores the harmony inside
's harmonic flow and outside alongside the rhythm track. It swings. The harpist's "Whispers of Resilience" is quietly cinematic. Ghostly utterances from harp and drums are offered as processional.
joins, and the trio latch onto a melodic center and proceed to add drama and rhythm. It's nice to get a recording of
's "Walnut and Western," as he's been playing it live for years. It's a magical work of intricate lyricism, pastoral changes, and tight, shifting rhythms. The drummer's "Three Is Not a Crowd" is a conversation that cuts across Latin funk and jazz, cumbia, post-bop, and collective improv. It's followed by
's lengthy "Hooligan Harbor," which provides room for various conversations in duos, solos, and deft trio interplay that embraces myriad jazz styles.
's spirit and taste are mercurial. The group on
is easily one of the finest bands he's played in. Let's hope this isn't a one-off. ~ Thom Jurek