Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
Antonio Sanchez
(Photo: Courtesy Antonio Sanchez)
Edmar Castañeda
(Photo: Adrien H Tillmann)
Béla Fleck
(Photo: Hazel Coonagh)Banjo player Béla Fleck, harpist Edmar Castañeda and drummer Antonio Sanchez will make their world premiere as a trio during a special run at the Blue Note in New York City Sept. 10–15. Tickets are on sale now.
“I’m so excited to see what happens next in this new combination, with two musicians I am thoroughly in awe of,” says Fleck, who performed with Castañeda in 2019 at the Big Ears Festival, and with Sanchez in Mexico. “I love playing with folks that have a lot to teach me, and this is certainly one of those times. We have already begun building our collaboration and my take is that we are onto something truly unique.”
“Collaborating with Béla and Edmar on this project has been nothing short of inspiring,” says Sanchez. “The combination of sounds and textures we can achieve is so different from any other band I’ve been in.”
“I never imagined blending my harp with a banjo, and even less with Béla, the finest in the world,” adds Castañeda. “Antonio’s groove and colors creates a bridge between the strings of my harp and the banjo. Together, we’ve forged an unforeseen trio, a union that is truly magical.”
The group will perform two sets each night during its six-day run at the Blue Note. For more information and to purchase tickets, CLICK HERE. DB
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
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