Favorite Trios- The Power of 3

[Spudman]

I've always enjoyed listening to and playing as a trio. There is something magical about just 3 people making a bunch of sound. There are some limitations and some freedoms with the trio format but basically everyone has to pull their weight.

There are obvious trios that everyone has heard of and have had plenty of acclaim and success. Lets try to leave those off the list just for the fact they are so obvious. (Police, Cream, Hendrix, Rush, etc)

Some that I enjoy

Dada
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Big Head Todd and The Monsters
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King's X
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[R_of_G]

two of my favorites are:

Marc Ribot's "Ceramic Dog" and Jon Madof & Rashanim

when i am not at work, i shall look for some youtube video and re-post so you guys know what i am talking about.

[Katastrophe]

Great stuff, Spud!

King's X has been a great band forever, with three talented musicians who can all sing. Their harmonies are great, with lots of melody.

[Spudman]

Great stuff, Spud!

King's X has been a great band forever, with three talented musicians who can all sing. Their harmonies are great, with lots of melody.

The first time I heard Gretchen Goes To Nebraska I about fell over in my chair. I couldn't believe 3 guys were making all that sound. Too bad they haven't gotten really big. They have some great messages.

[tunghaichuan]

The first time I heard Gretchen Goes To Nebraska I about fell over in my chair. I couldn't believe 3 guys were making all that sound. Too bad they haven't gotten really big. They have some great messages.

I wore out tape cassette copies of Gretchen Goes to Nebraska and Out of a Slient Planet while commuting 70 miles one way when I was in grad school. While I like those two albums a great deal, I never did care much for any of their subsequent albums :(

tung

[snarph]

Experience

Cream

[hubberjub]

Soulive

[djmcconnell]

I've always been a big Semisonic fan.

[sunvalleylaw]

I have long been a fan of the Vince Guaraldi Trio.

[Spudman]

Experience

Cream

Ahem, did you read the first post? Anything but the obvious please.

Stereophonics are great too.
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[R_of_G]

I have long been a fan of the Vince Guaraldi Trio.

Great answer Steve!

[Spudman]

Rory Gallagher could pull off a trio pretty well too. This is the group I saw him with in 1978. Ted McKenna on drums (Michael Schenker), Gerry McAvoy on bass.
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[birv2]

+1 on Rory Gallagher. He actually had a trio called Taste who put out some good stuff.

Wasn't Mountain a trio?

Bob

[Spudman]

Niacin

I've really gotten into these guys lately. Their energy is really high. It's Dennis Chambers on drums (Steely Dan, John McLaughlin, John Scofield, P Funk) Billy Sheehan on bass (Mr Big, Steve Vai, Talas, David Lee Roth) and John Novello (Mark Isham, Chick Corea and the author of The Contemporary Keyboardist)

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[Jimi75]

Finally somebody mentioning Rory Gallagher!!! Thanks for that!

My favourite trios are:

JH Experience

Rory Gallagher Band as mentioned above.

Joe Bonamassa Band with Eric Czar (b) and Kenny Kramme (dr) which is the old trio that rocked the most.

Green Day - before they rented all these studio musicians for the tour. A great and underestimated rock trio!

Robin Trower Band - saw them anno 2004 and Robin + 2 rocked like there were 25 poeple on stage.

[R_of_G]

of course there was the one-album only trio of Bill Frisell, Dave Holland and Elvin Jones. That's almost as good as it gets, until of course you get to the Ginger Baker trio of Ginger, Frisell and Charlie Haden.

[snarph]

Ahem, did you read the first post? Anything but the obvious please.

Stereophonics are great too.
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YEA but any way you start a thread like this your still gonna get them :):):)

[Spudman]

Freak Kitchen

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[Spudman]

A great guy that I've had the pleasure of working with several times.
Chris Duarte
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[snoglobe]

For me it's The Jam.

The Police simply bored me. I experimented with Rush and Triumph in my youth, but I never inhaled. Stray Cats were fun, for a short while. Love and Rockets were interesting. Hendrix and Cream were my older brother's generation. Good music, but not my music. The Jam lit the fire for me, particularly Modern World.

[Tone2TheBone]

Rush, ZZ Top, Triumph, and The Nat King Cole Trio.

[Bloozcat]

Blue Cheer!.......:rockon:

Umm...a little dated perhaps, but they're still out there...in one form or another.

I'll never forget seeing them waayyy back in 1967, I think it was. They were on some TV show with a wall of Marshall stacks two high across the the stage behind them. Needless to say, I was young and very impressed.

They weren't really one of my favorites, but I thought they were worth mentioning ...just for the nostalgia...;)

[duhvoodooman]

Blue Cheer!.......:rockon:

Umm...a little dated perhaps, but they're still out there...in one form or another.

I'll never forget seeing them waayyy back in 1967, I think it was. They were on some TV show with a wall of Marshall stacks two high across the the stage behind them. Needless to say, I was young and very impressed.

They weren't really one of my favorites, but I thought they were worth mentioning ...just for the nostalgia...;)
Vincebus Eruptum!! I don't know if it's really true, but I've read a couple of times that they were the only band that Bill Graham ever kicked off the stage at the Fillmore for playing too loud! I'd like to believe it, true or not! :bravo:

And while I'm here, though I would consider them to be in that "obvious" group, they haven't been explicitly mentioned--SRV and the orginal Double Trouble (before Reese Wynans joined the band).

Not a favorite, but here's an obscure trio that I saw on a bill with the Jimi Hendrix Experience in early '68--the Soft Machine. At least, they were a trio when I saw them....

[piebaldpython]

George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers before he added a second guitar and sax. Saw them countless times here in Philly (1977-1979) just as they broke nationally. Three sounded like 6.

[Spudman]

Soft Machine. Good one. 1960s pioneers. That little Alan Holdsworth guy played with them for a while too.
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[R_of_G]

how about the original line-up of Gov't Mule [Warren Haynes, Allen Woody & Matt Abst]. the post-Woody Mule is not anywhere near as powerful with 4 members as the original trio.

[birv2]

Nobody has mentioned Spinal Tap when Nigel Tufnel quits and they explore their new freeform jazz direction. :bravo:

Sorry, I couldn't resist. That Soft Machine clip reminded me so much of the Flower People.....

Bob

[Jimi75]

Freak Kitchen

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Hey Spud, great mentioning! Freak Kitchen is a very cool trio. I had the pleasure attending several workshops with Matthias IA Eklundh who is a brilliant player (genius). I know that the entire trio does the Freak Camp workshop in Gothenburg, Sweden. I was about to inscribe myself to that 7 day course.

[R_of_G]

Nobody has mentioned Spinal Tap when Nigel Tufnel quits and they explore their new freeform jazz direction. :bravo:


perhaps bc they are still a four-piece at that point [St. Hubbins on guitar, Smalls on bass, Viv on keyboards and the current drummer]?

what i want to know is, some people mentioned the Experience. ok, i get that. now, where the heck is the appreciation for Band of Gypsies or, even moreso, for Hendrix/Cox/Mitchell? To me, Billy Cox is a much better match as a bass player for Jimi than Redding was, meaing no disrespect, I love Noel Redding, I just think Hendrix and Cox got each other on a whole other level. I also prefer the funk/blues style of Hendrix' late era playing to some of his earlier stuff.

[Spudman]

Hey Spud, great mentioning! Freak Kitchen is a very cool trio. I had the pleasure attending several workshops with Matthias IA Eklundh who is a brilliant player (genius). I know that the entire trio does the Freak Camp workshop in Gothenburg, Sweden. I was about to inscribe myself to that 7 day course.

Lucky you. They would be great to learn from. All very capable players with a good sense of humor. Matthias is a brilliant musician for sure. I love how he takes guitar out of it's normal bounds much like Tom Morello.

[Tone2TheBone]

Oh crap how could I forget Stray Cats! :thwap:

[marnold]

what i want to know is, some people mentioned the Experience. ok, i get that. now, where the heck is the appreciation for Band of Gypsies or, even moreso, for Hendrix/Cox/Mitchell? To me, Billy Cox is a much better match as a bass player for Jimi than Redding was, meaing no disrespect, I love Noel Redding, I just think Hendrix and Cox got each other on a whole other level. I also prefer the funk/blues style of Hendrix' late era playing to some of his earlier stuff.
The only issue with the Band of Gypsies was that they just didn't have that much time together before Jimi died. Had he lived, I've got a feeling that the Gypsies would have at least been as popular as the Experience if not more so.

[R_of_G]

The only issue with the Band of Gypsies was that they just didn't have that much time together before Jimi died. Had he lived, I've got a feeling that the Gypsies would have at least been as popular as the Experience if not more so.

I wonder if would have been B.o.G. or if he'd turned into more of a "project" musician. I know he was just getting into playing and hanging out with Miles when he died. THAT would have been something.

another great trio I love is the Joey Baron trio consisting of Joey Baron on drums, Ribot on guitar and Jon Medeski on organ/piano.

[Spudman]

How did I forget :thwap:
Medeski Martin & Wood
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[Big K]

Jimi Hendrix Experience

Cream

ZZ Top

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

[Spudman]

The Magic Elf
Even though they are not a lot of fun to watch play their music is super charged and technical. Monster players. Watch "Scrambledreggs" too.
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[Spudman]

The Steve Morse Band
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[Spudman]

Philip Sayce
Having a great voice helps to power a trio as much as awesome chops and tone.
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[R_of_G]

hey spud, now that i know you like MMW, let me ask you... have you ever heard the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey? They are an organ/bass/drums trio like MMW. I saw them open for Charlie Hunter a few years ago, and they put on a phemonenal set with tons of energy and really adventurous exploratory playing. I've seen MMW several times and the similarities were obvious, particularly in the case of the bass player who, like Chris Wood, seems more a guitar player playing bass than a straight bass player. If I were not at work I'd put up some youtube of them, but I trust your searching abilities. I def think you would enjoy them.:AOK:

[Spudman]

Good tip RoG. Thanks. Cool stuff and worth checking out.
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[R_of_G]

cool, you found video, i shall check it out at home later. i should also add that we had the chance to meet the guys in the band before the show, during charlie's soundcheck and they could not have been nicer more down-to-earth guys. we actually found out we had a mutual friend. like medeski, they play both acoustic and electric jazz superbly.

[Spudman]

Secret Machines

This has a bit of a Zep feel to it.
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[Spudman]

Muse

These guys are huge in Europe.
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[R_of_G]

there's a german prog-rock band from the 70's called Guru Guru that I really like. i am pretty positive they are a trio. excellent guitar work.

[mrmudcat]

Ok im on this ...........:beer:

The James Gang with Joe Walsh,North Mississippi Allstars,Los Lonely boys.

How about MOUNTAINsome(not me ) consider it a 4 piece because there was a keyboardist on and off

Another fresh trio in the old school vein is WOLFMOTHER




Oh yea how about Buddy Holly and the Crickets

Wasnt Muddy Waters band a trio originally??:dude:

Grand Funk Railroad,The original Hot tuna added a harmonica player for their debut album.

Obvious missing choices would be Nirvana ,Motorhead:rockon:

[Spudman]

I guess my idea was to introduce folks to trios they might not have heard of so that they can see what that format has developed in to. In a trio you are forced to be creative in ways that more members might limit.

[warren0728]

actually the john mayer trio "try" cd changed my mind about mayer....

mayer on guitar
pino palladino on bass
steve jordan on drums

good lyrics and great playing

favs:
gravity
out of my mind
something's missing

ww

[sunvalleylaw]

I agree Warren. Great Trio. I had not paid attention to John before that time.

[Blaze]

Outstanding trios too: ''Jing Chi'' (Robben Ford , Vinnie Colaiuta,
Jimmy Haslip..)

http://www.myspace.com/colaiutafordhaslip



Niacin :Billy Sheehan,John Novello,Dennis Chambers

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Ciao

Blaze:beer:

[Blaze]

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[Katastrophe]

I don't think this trio has been mentioned yet...

Blue Murder -

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The first version was John Sykes on guitar and vocals, Tony Franklin on bass, and Carmine Appice on drums. Freakin' huge sounding.

[stingx]

You cannot talk about great trios without mentioning Zebra. Randy Jackson is a TREMENDOUS guitarist and vocalist.

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[just strum]

I'm going to add another ELP. When this song first came out a friend of mine and I use to sit around and wonder what the hell was that instrument that was being played? Could it be electric bagpipes? We went to see them in concert and they put on a hell of a show.

My friend is no longer with us, but I think of him whenever I hear this song being played.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDiLOMP9MNE

[Spudman]

Duh. How could I have forgotten. They used to be one of my favorites. Thanks for the reminder Sting.


You cannot talk about great trios without mentioning Zebra. Randy Jackson is a TREMENDOUS guitarist and vocalist.

noixYQX492U

[Spudman]

Man Raze will be releasing their first full length album soon.
Man Raze is:

Phil Collen (vocals/guitar) – Phil joined Def Leppard in 1982, and with band mate and best friend Steve Clark was able to create the bands highly influential and incredibly successful trademark dual guitar sound. Def Leppard have sold over 65 million albums world-wide to date. The band are currently on a headline arena tour in the US. A deluxe edition of their landmark album “Hysteria” (the biggest selling British rock album of all time) was released in late 2006.
Paul Cook (drums) – Founder member and mainstay with one of the most influential bands of all time – the Sex Pistols. The bands 1977 album “Never Mind The Bollocks…” has launched a thousand imitators and is constantly name checked by generation after generation of musicians. Paul Cook has also played with the likes of Johnny Thunders, Edwyn Collins and Greedy Bastards (alongside Phil Lynott and Scott Gorham).
Simon Laffy (bass) – Long time friend of Phil Collen and member of Collen’s pre Def Leppard outfit Girl. Simon has developed a broad range of musical expertise over the years, embracing technological advances in programming and sampling, as well as exploring diverse musical genres. He brings this know-how back into Man Raze through his song writing and production abilities.

Band web site http://www.manraze.com/index.php?page=about

[Tig]

Great stuff, Spud!

King's X has been a great band forever, with three talented musicians who can all sing. Their harmonies are great, with lots of melody.

One of the two great local bands here in Houston. I rememver being blown away by them.

When I found out my manager at work had the drummer of King's X play on his album, I knew he was a cool boss! :cool:

[msteeln]

Mermen

[markb]

Well, the Soft Machine (until Robert Wyatt left) obviously, but here's a couple of British faves from the post punk days

This Heat

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The Screaming Blue Messiahs (check Bill Carter's right hand technique - ouch!)

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