Blackhawk is a project co-led by Elijah Freeman (sax) and Ariel Mejia (trumpet). Their goal is to bring authentic Hard Bop to the Charlotte area and beyond. Mejia & Freeman have worked closely together, performing and curating arrangements of their own originals as well as bringing to light some of the lesser-known standards and compositions from the jazz realm, specifically in the Hard Bop style.  Past dates spanning for all members of this group include and and are not limited to these venues: Sharp Nine Gallery, Knight Theatre, Booth Playhouse, Stage Door Theatre, Petras, etc.  

This group has recorded three albums in 2023, one of which is available on all streaming services (The Love Standards, 2023) and another in the works, which was recorded at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ.