Bela Fleck, Edmar Castaneda, & Antonio Sanchez Trio - BEATrio [Compact disc]

Banjo. Drums. Harp. Huh? To be sure, the new all-star trio of Bela Fleck, harpist Edmar Castaneda and drummer Antonio Sanchez features instrumentation that might safely be called uncommon. Unless, of course, you’re already familiar with 19-time Grammy-winner Fleck — the genre-blurring virtuoso who has done more to expand the possibilities of the banjo than any other player in the instrument’s history. From his bluegrass beginnings through his otherworldly Flecktones, his duo with Chick Corea and his reimagining of Rhapsody in Blue, Fleck’s work never fails to surprise. What doesn’t surprise is the impeccable caliber of his collaborators — and this new trio includes two of the most gifted musicians of their generation. The harpist, Castenada, hails from Bogota, Colombia, and has led his own bands in addition to sharing projects with such masters as Hiromi, Paquito D’Rivera and Gregoire Maret. 5-time Grammy-winner Sanchez grew up in Mexico City and built a reputation as one of the great jazz drummers through his work with guitarist Pat Metheny. He’s also been a visionary bandleader, helming progressive groups like Bad Hombre, and collaborated with Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Charlie Haden, Michael Brecker and other giants. His Golden Globe nominated drum-set score for Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s 2014 film Birdman earned him renown far outside the jazz world. Playing original repertoire, much of it collaboratively written, this trio embarks nightly on fearless explorations that audiences will find irresistible — rich with strong melodies, gorgeous harmony and grooves that twist and turn while feeling fantastic.