The rise of the power trio in the 1960s was made possible in part by developments in
amplifier 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 the
organ trio, a 1960s-era
soul jazz group centered on the amplified
Hammond 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 its
blues rock incarnation, is also generally held to have developed out of
Chicago-style blues bands such as
Muddy Waters' trio. In addition to technological improvements, another impetus for the rise of the power trio was the virtuosity of guitarists such as
Eric Clapton,
Jimi Hendrix, and
Rory Gallagher, who could essentially cover both the
rhythm guitar and
lead 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. In 1966, the prototypical blues-rock power trio
Cream was formed, consisting of
Eric Clapton on guitar/vocals,
Jack Bruce on bass/vocals, and
Ginger Baker on drums. Other influential 1960s-era
blues rock/
hard rock power trio bands were
The Jimi Hendrix Experience,
Blue Cheer,
Grand Funk Railroad,
James Gang, and
Taste. Well-known 1970s-era power trios include the Canadian
progressive rock groups
Rush and
Triumph, the American band
ZZ Top, the English
heavy metal band
Motörhead, and the
Robin Trower Band.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer (as well as its offshoot
Emerson, Lake & Powell) is usually considered a power trio 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 trio
Manal was formed in
Argentina, and were the first group that composed blues music in Spanish.
Budgie were a Welsh
Blues rock heavy metal band from
Cardiff 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, particularly the
new wave of British heavy metal, and later acts such as
Metallica, who covered "
Breadfan" and "Crash Course in Brain Surgery" on their album
Garage Inc. The band have been noted as "among the heaviest metal of its day". After the 1970s, the phrase "power trio" was applied to the
new wave group
the Police,
grunge band
Nirvana,
extreme metal bands
Hellhammer and
Gallhammer,
alternative rock bands
Hüsker Dü and
Concrete Blonde,
mod revivalists
the Jam, hard rock/progressive metal band
King's X,
post-grunge band
Silverchair,
alternative bands
the Presidents of the United States of America,
Goo Goo Dolls,
Primus,
Everclear,
Muse, and
Eve 6,
pop punk bands such as
Green Day,
Blink-182,
Alkaline Trio and
MxPx, and
Argentine rock bands like
Soda 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 band
Morphine, featuring a
baritone saxophone instead of an electric guitar, to
Ben Folds Five's replacing the guitar with various keyboards, principally the
piano. ==See also==