Activator Trio

Activator Trio is the brainchild of Brooklyn, NY-based and composer Ben Tyree. Formed in 2018 as an extension of his critically-acclaimed BT3, the project features fellow : ​ ​ The Arkestra Chamber alums - Leon Gruenbaum (keyboards, Samchillian Tip Tip Tip CheeePeeeee) and Chris Eddleton ​ (drums). The group debuted last Summer at Real Art Ways in Hartford, CT showcasing their invigorating take on what Tyree calls “Psych Rock/ .” Activator Trio are preparing to record a full-length studio album in 2019 to be produced by of .

“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.”

- (co-founder, Black Rock Coalition and Village Voice ​ Music Critic/Journalist 1987-2005)

MORE PRESS Guitarist Ben Tyree is a performer and composer of virtuosic ability, infectious groove, and eclectic tastes. All of those elements are placed on stunning display on his three albums as a leader released on his own Sonic Architectures label (re:Vision - 2010, Thoughtform Variations - 2012, and Burn It! LIVE - 2014). Originally from Washington, DC - having attended ​ the prestigious Duke Ellington School of the Arts and subsequently majored in Jazz Studies at Howard University, Tyree has been NYC-based since 2002. His versatility has additionally led to work with artists as diverse as Vernon Reid, Valerie June, , Brooklyn Raga Massive, and Burnt Sugar: The Arkestra Chamber to name a few.

Leon Gruenbaum has been a in-demand keyboardist in the New York music scene for 30 years. He records and tours regularly on his keyboard invention, the Samchillian®, with guitarist Vernon Reid (Living Colour), James "Blood" Ulmer and the Burnt Sugar Arkestra, as well as Aaron Comess's Air Conditioned Gypsies. He also sings and plays this instrument in his projects - Creative Apocalypse, Genes and Machines and Collider, a duo with drummer Gintas Janusonis.

Chris Eddleton - originally from Roselle, NJ - is a full-time drummer and musician living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He has performed with various Brazilian artists such as Cidino Texiera, Cyro Baptista, Nilson Matta, and Claudio Roditi. Chris has also toured the US and abroad with Verve recording artist Lizz Wright and has performed at various music festivals such as the JVC Jazz Festival (NYC), New Orleans Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Toronto Jazz Festival, and the Telluride Jazz Festival. Eddleton has performed in several off-Broadway productions such as The Black Nativity, The Supreme Bishop Tartuff, the Paris, FR premier of Melvin Van Peebles's Sweet Sweetback's Badassss Song, and Rain ​ ​ Pryor's Fried Chicken and Lattkes. He currently tours Europe and the US with the popular NYC Punjabi-Funk band Red Baraat.