Ed Sheeran took some time off from his world tour this week to drop by New York City’s Blue Note jazz club for an impromptu performance.
The four-time Grammy winner made an unannounced appearance at the legendary Manhattan venue on Monday, where he performed alongside fellow musician Frédéric Yonnet.
Blue Note shared footage of the show on Instagram the following day, showing Ed and Frédéric delivering a high-energy set that included Shape Of You as well as stripped-down renditions of Stevie Wonder’s Superstition and Bill Withers’ Ain’t No Sunshine.
“Grateful for Ed Sheeran gracing the Blue Note stage with a magical surprise impromptu performance with incredible harmonica master Frédéric Yonnet,” the club wrote in the accompanying caption.
“You never know who’s going to show up at Blue Note!”
And though Ed is used to playing sold-out stadiums, his Blue Note audience reportedly was just 200 people.
Frédéric, a French jazz harmonicist, is a longtime friend of Ed’s. The two men have collaborated numerous times in the past, most notably on the CBS special A Home for the Holidays in 2015, when they performed one of Ed’s signature hits, Thinking Out Loud.
Ed is currently on a world tour after releasing his latest album, Subtract.
Along the way, he has maintained his penchant for surprise. Last month, he welcomed Shawn Mendes to join him onstage in Toronto, where the pair performed Sheeran’s Lego House and Shawn’s There’s Nothin’ Holding Me Back in duet.
It marked Shawn’s first time back on stage in over a year. He called off his 2022 tour after just seven performances, citing the need for a mental health break.