Activator Trio is the brainchild of Brooklyn, NY-based guitarist and composer Ben Tyree. Formed in 2018 as an extension of his critically-acclaimed BT3, the project features fellow Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber alumni:

Leon Gruenbaum - Keyboards + Samchillian

Chris Eddleton - Drums

The group debuted in late 2018 at Real Art Ways in Hartford, CT showcasing their invigorating take on what Tyree calls “Psych Rock/Jazz Funk” and has subsequently performed at venues such as NuBlu and Lincoln Center.

Activator Trio are currently working on an album set for release in late 2026 on Tyree’s Sonic Architectures label. Stay tuned!

“Ben Tyree combines fire, heart, and mind in his imaginative and spirited playing. Ben is in the forefront of where guitar has been, where it is, and where it’s going”
— Vernon Reid (Guitarist, Living Colour)
“Ben Tyree has an uncanny knack for blending unhinged Sonny Sharrock-esque skronking with precision fuzoid speed-picking and boppish chops abandon with his exhilarating Activator Trio. Add in the swirling psychedelia of his take on the Beatles’ trippiest tune, ‘Tomorrow Never Knows,’ and his soulful, Hendrix-flavored ‘Shapeshifter’ and you have a multi-faceted Strat strangler who ranks atop the heap of today’s post-Frisellian genre-defying guitar players.”
— Bill Milkowski (Freelance music writer for Down Beat, Jazziz, Absolute Sound, et al)
“With instrumentation echoing Tony Williams Lifetime, bandleader and guitar virtuoso Ben Tyree provokes a kaleidoscopic and alchemical blend of improvisational fury and intricately composed blueprints which platforms his trio’s chops, bravura and ingenuity. The bass-less lineup also includes keyboard wizard Leon Gruenbaum and longtall drum maestro Chris Eddleton.”
— Greg Tate (co-founder, Black Rock Coalition and Village Voice Music Critic/Journalist 1987-2005)