Apower trio is arock band format having a lineup ofelectric guitar,bass guitar anddrum kit, leaving out a dedicated vocalist or an additionalrhythm guitar orkeyboard instrument that are often used in other rock music bands that are quartets and quintets. Larger rock bands often use one or more additionalrhythm sections to fill out the sound with chords and harmony parts.
Most power trios inhard rock andheavy metal music use the electric guitar player in two roles; during much of the song, they play rhythm guitar, playing thechord progression for the song and performing the song's importantriffs, and then switching to alead guitar role during theguitar solo. While one or more band members typically sing while playing their instruments, power trios in hard rock and heavy metal music generally emphasize instrumental performance and overall sonic impact over vocals and lyrics.[1]
The rise of the power trio in the 1960s was made possible in part by developments inamplifier technology that greatly enhanced the volume of the electric guitar and bass. Particularly, the popularization of the electric bass guitar defined the bottom end and filled in the gaps. Since the amplified bass could also now be louder, the rest of the band could also play at higher volumes while still being able to hear the bass. This allowed a three-person band to have the same sonic impact as a large band but left far more room for improvisation and creativity, unencumbered by the need for detailed arrangements. As with theorgan trio, a 1960s-erasoul jazz group centered on the amplifiedHammond organ, a three-piece group could fill a large bar or club with a big sound for a much lower price than a large rock and roll band. A power trio, at least in itsblues rock incarnation, is also generally held to have developed out ofChicago-style blues bands such asMuddy Waters' trio.
In addition to technological improvements, another impetus for the rise of the power trio was the virtuosity of guitarists such asEric Clapton,Jimi Hendrix, andRory Gallagher, who could essentially cover both therhythm guitar andlead guitar roles in a live performance. In 1964,Frank Zappa played guitar in a power trio, the Muthers, with Paul Woods on bass and Les Papp on drums.[2] In 1966, the prototypical blues-rock power trioCream[3] was formed, consisting ofEric Clapton on guitar/vocals,Jack Bruce on bass/vocals, andGinger Baker on drums. Other influential 1960s-erablues rock/hard rock power trio bands wereThe Jimi Hendrix Experience,[4]Blue Cheer,Grand Funk Railroad,[5]James Gang, andTaste.[6]
Well-known 1970s-era power trios include the Canadianprogressive rock groupsRush andTriumph,[7] the American bandZZ Top,[8] the Englishheavy metal bandMotörhead, and theRobin Trower Band.Emerson, Lake & Palmer (as well as its offshootEmerson, Lake & Powell) is usually considered a power trio[9][10] as Keith Emerson fulfilled the rhythm and lead playing on the keyboards that would usually fall on the guitarist, with bassist (and occasional guitarist) Greg Lake performing vocals. In 1968, the power trioManal was formed inArgentina, and were the first group that composed blues music in Spanish.[11][12]
Budgie were a WelshBlues rockheavy metal band fromCardiff who formed in 1967. The band are considered a classic power trio who released ten albums. Budgie were one of the earliest heavy metal bands, and, according to Garry Sharpe-Young were a seminal influence on many acts of that scene,[13] particularly thenew wave of British heavy metal, and later acts such asMetallica, who covered "Breadfan" and "Crash Course in Brain Surgery" on their albumGarage Inc.[14] The band have been noted as "among the heaviest metal of its day".[15]
After the 1970s, the phrase "power trio" was applied to thenew wave groupthe Police,[16]grunge bandNirvana,extreme metal bandsHellhammer andGallhammer,alternative rock bandsHüsker Dü andConcrete Blonde,mod revivaliststhe Jam, hard rock/progressive metal bandKing's X,post-grunge bandSilverchair,alternative bandsthe Presidents of the United States of America,Goo Goo Dolls,Primus,Everclear,Muse, andEve 6,pop punk bands such asGreen Day,Blink-182,Alkaline Trio andMxPx, andArgentine rock bands likeSoda Stereo,Divididos,A.N.I.M.A.L., and From Power Project. Also, by the 1990s, rock trios began to form around different instrumentation, from the bandMorphine, featuring abaritone saxophone instead of an electric guitar, toBen Folds Five's replacing the guitar with various keyboards, principally thepiano.
In the late 1960s, two music groups, Taste and Cream, blazed trails as definitive examples of rock's power-trios.