If you live in the U.S. or Australia, you may be familiar with the word ‘trifecta’. It’s a type of bet in which the punter predicts the first three finishers in a horse race, in the right order. But this Old Man is not interested in horses or gambling and, anyway, here in the U.K. we call this a ‘tricast’ (or so Wikipedia tells me). So, for me, Trifecta means the prog/fusion band formed by bassist and songwriter Nick Beggs, keyboardist Adam Holzman and drummer Graig Blundell.

The trio released their debut album, Fragments, in 2021.

Trifecta‘s distinguishing marks are a collage of progressive rock, funk and jazz fusion reminiscent of Herbie Hancock or Chick Corea. The Fragments album spans 15 short tracks composed of individual contributions recorded in the musicians’ home studios, then mixed by Adam Holzman and mastered by Andy VanDette. It’s a multi-faceted mosaic – sparkling little pieces that together create an alluring sonic picture. And it’s the latest addition to the Crotchety Collection.

All three members of Trifecta are highly respected musicians, performing both as full members of other bands and in looser collaborations. So, it’s difficult to know whether we can regard Trifecta as a stable band or just an ephemeral project. But there is definitely life in the old pony; they release their second album, The New Normal, on 12th April.

“… the band bring the listener into a world where sound is malleable, time is a mere concept and vegetables have otherworldly properties …”

The Trifecta page on the KScope website.

It was tempting to pre-order the forthcoming album, but in the end I decided to take my cue from a newly released single by Grace Petrie. It’s called The House Always Wins, and it reminds us that gambling is a game you’re bound to lose in the long run. So, I will consult the form book again when the pundits review the New Normal nag before deciding where to place my bets.