As rock’n’roll exploded with creativity and virtuosity in the 1960s, the genre borrowed a concept from jazz to better showcase this growth. Namely, the trio format. The combination of a single guitar (or, in the case of The Nice, keyboards), bass, and drums provided maximum breathing room for soloing and experimentation without getting in each other’s way. Occasionally you would have a vocalist added to the mix, as was the case with The Who and later on Led Zeppelin, but for the most part, it was strictly the power of three. You had Cream, with Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker furiously blasting away on their respective instruments when they weren’t furiously blasting away at each other. Although the Jimi Hendrix Experience was unquestionably Hendrix’s vessel to boldly go where no Stratocaster-wielding wizard had gone before, the contributions of Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell provided a vital foundation to Hendrix’s power and range. Less known but artistically on an equal footing with their contemporaries was Taste, led by Rory Gallagher. Joe Walsh led The James Gang. And second to none was Glass Harp.

Consisting of Phil Keaggy on guitar, John Sferra on drums, and Daniel Pecchio on bass, while never lacking in firepower Glass Harp was equally inclined to apply a subtle brushstroke as swing a sledgehammer. The band recorded three albums for MCA in the early 1970s before going their separate ways. Keaggy entered into a decades-long career as one of contemporary Christian music’s most celebrated artists. At the same time, Pecchio worked with Cleveland-based roots rocker Michael Stanley for several years. As the years progressed, Sferra and Pecchio embraced Christianity, and the trio still occasionally performs in and around their hometown of Youngstown, Ohio. With the band’s studio catalog, including 2003’s Hourglass, and assorted live albums recently becoming available on Bandcamp, now is an excellent time to either reacquaint or acquaint oneself period with the little band that could and did.

Even Keaggy’s extensive solo work’s most ardent fans have never heard him as he was and is with Glass Harp. Before anyone invented the term jam band, Glass Harp personified the genre. Its studio work was well-constructed, melodic early progressive rock with noticeable bite, while in concert, the trio was something to behold. Keaggy’s inventive liquid fire was a revelation, and when he stretched out with Sferra and Pecchio’s ample assistance, Keaggy turned his Les Paul into a wondrous storyteller.

Glass Harp could also keep it sweet and punchy.

For a deeper dive into Glass Harp’s studio work, the latest episode of Cephas Hour provides a solid sample of the band’s multi-faceted skill.

While if one looks hard enough, there is quality new music available (may I suggest Glass Hammer and Five for Fighting?), discovering someone overlooked the first go-round is always a welcome treat. Break out the unbreakable Glass Harp and bust out the jams. Your ears will thank you.