BEATtrio, the all-star band featuring Béla Fleck, harpist Edmar Castañeda and drummer Antonio Sánchez, will release its self-titled debut album on 16th May 2025.
Formed in 2024, BEATrio found its sound during a special twelve-show run at the Blue Note Jazz Club in Greenwich Village, where the band fearlessly explored new, original music, most of it collaboratively written.
“Each night felt like an adventure,” says Castañeda, “and it was special to see the audience experience the music’s evolution.”
“After playing a duo concert with Edmar, it became clear that we needed to write together, in order to accommodate the needs of harp and banjo,” says Fleck. “This is our first attempt—sometimes you get lucky, before you think too much about it!”
By the end of the Blue Note run, BEATrio had locked into a sort of telepathy, as well as a system for covering all the necessary musical ground. “I play the groove with my left hand with Antonio,” says Castañeda, “while at the same time I play melodies and harmonies with my right hand and with Béla — a very fun challenge that makes a unique and powerful trio.”
“Edmar has quite a bit of responsibility in this particular case,” Sánchez adds, “because he functions as the harmony and the bass.” Indeed, Castañeda sends the bottom frequencies of his harp through a proper bass rig onstage, so the low end is always present. The drummer goes on to call Castañeda “the glue between the banjo and the drums.”
Listen to the first single “Archipelago” and pre-order / pre-save the album: https://orcd.co/beatrio-eu.
US, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Europe & UK tour dates are on sale now, including two nights at London’s Cadogan Hall in July, Big Ears Festival, Telluride, Seoul Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz, Pori Jazz, and more.
BEATrio will be on tour at the following dates:
March 24 Minneapolis, MN The Dakota
March 25 Minneapolis, MN The Dakota
March 27 Knoxville, TN Big Ears Festival
March 29 San Francisco, CA Presidio Theatre
March 30 San Francisco, CA Presidio Theatre
May 11 Tarrytown, NY Tarrytown Music Hall
May 12 Lebanon, NH Lebanon Opera House
May 13 Princeton, NJ McCarter Theatre
May 14 Norfolk, VA Virginia Arts Festival
May 15 Charlotte, NC Carolina Theatre
May 16 Bentonville, AR FreshGrass
May 22 Seattle, WA Jazz Alley
May 23 Seattle, WA Jazz Alley
May 24 Seattle, WA Jazz Alley
May 25 Seattle, WA Jazz Alley
May 28 Tokyo, Japan Blue Note Tokyo
May 28 Tokyo, Japan Blue Note Tokyo
May 29 Tokyo, Japan Blue Note Tokyo
May 30 Tokyo, Japan Blue Note Tokyo
June 1 Seoul, South Korea Seoul Jazz Festival
June 17 Winnipeg, MB Winnipeg Jazz Festival
June 19 Boulder, CO Chautauqua Auditorium
June 21 Telluride, CO Telluride Bluegrass Festival
June 22 Telluride, CO Telluride Bluegrass Festival
July 5 Timișoara, Romania JAZZx
July 9 London, UK Cadogan Hall
July 10 London, UK Cadogan Hall
July 12 Rotterdam, NL North Sea Jazz Festival
July 17 Pori, FI Pori Jazz Festival
August 1 Skaneateles, NY Skaneateles Festival
Tickets are on sale now with more dates to be announced!
