BEATrio: BEATrio

It is quite the compliment for banjoist Bela Fleck to compare the creative dynamic of his longstanding quartet, the Flecktones, to the artistry he has formulated with harpist Edmar Castaneda and percussionist Antonio Sanchez. The brilliant abstract art on the cover of the latter trio's self-titled album is an accurate reflection of the music: the camaraderie in action makes it all the more enticing to become both absorbed in and addicted to the sounds therein.

The composite of the individuals' names that makes up the group moniker is also indicative of their instinctual bond. With original music collaboratively-composed and tested out in the spontaneity of moments during a run at the Blue Note Jazz Club in Greenwich Village, New York City, in September of 2024, Fleck, Castaneda and Sanchez then captured their unity in the recording studio.

That they succeeded with such panache on cuts like "Archipelago," is a testament not only to their individual technical skills but the combination of humility and daring that inspired them to take chances in the short term and long term. Secure in the close-knit relationship they have formed during the performances, the threesome fine- tuned an uncanny shared method of injecting tunes such as "Hooligan Harbor" with as much rhythm as melody.

The very novelty of this instrumental lineup carries its own intrinsic drama, too. But because each musician has a wealth of live performances to draw on (not just theirs together), BEATrio can sustain the ebb and flow of suspense for the duration of comparatively extended (7:14) track "Pellucidar" without succumbing to gimmickry

And the exotic nature of such titles like "Pellucidar"—this comes from a sci-fi novel by Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs—only adds subliminal theater to the listening experience. It is not always clear who is leading the way in a given take—no one flaunts technical talent here—but in the end it does not matter: the themes played by Fleck, Castaneda and Sanchez on something like "Kaleidoscopes" are all quite pronounced, but complementary.

No matter the length of the cuts here, each invariably flies by, largely because there is so much going on during, for instance, "Countryside." Yet such recordings are not by any means overwhelming, mostly because BEATrio remains so patient with the moment(s) of the recording(s): the jolly way they dance around each other on "Cloak and Dagger" is a special delight, even in the context of this otherwise thoroughly satisfying sixty-four minutes or so.

As is the custom with all Fleck's recordings, the sound here is a pleasure in and of itself. Recorded largely by Dave Dennison, mixed by Pete Karam (Pat Metheny) and mastered by Paul Blakemore, the sonics reveal nuanced distinctions in the instrumental textures between distinguishing Fleck's banjo, Castaneda's harp and Sanchez's percussion on "Walnut and Western."

"Whispers of Resilience" is a particularly apropos title as it applies to these three experienced musicians. Yet its placement in the track sequence also carries a readily discernible logic: appearing just as the album's running order hits its home stretch on "coda," the three players speed up, then descend into languor, as if to gather their strength for a grand finale.

To that end, "Three is Not a Crowd" may be no more self-referential than the closing that actually is "Touch and Go." If not for its fairly conventional structure as a bluegrass reel of sorts, the name of this final track by BEATrio may be somewhat cryptic, but it is nevertheless an accurate summary of all that unfolds during this consummate collective effort.

Comments