Tripp Edwards has been writing and performing his songs solo and in various bands over the last 15 years.  The most recent incarnation is the Tripp Edwards Trio, a strictly acoustic approach to his songs.
The trio is a side project for Edwards and was formed by accident while he was playing a solo acoustic show. Hayes Smith joined him on resonator guitar and then John Gray joined in on bass. The impromptu performance was loose but had a sturdy foundation with Tripp’s acoustic guitar and songs.
That evening shed light on the idea of having an acoustic side project that was improvisational in its nature but still possessed a certain amount of structure for a listener to focus upon.
The lineup of T.E.T. is not a set band. Every performance will showcase different musicians in the trio, each time interpreting Edward’s songs uniquely, with the introduction of new instruments and consistently introducing new songs. Listeners may not be afforded another opportunity to experience that lineup again.
For the Tripp Edwards Trio, the studio is not an option. Every recording is and will be made live to document that particular evening’s performance and lineup.
The trio’s performance at the Blue Vine in October 2007 was recorded live, and was the first recording of the Tripp Edwards Trio. 
Performing live with Edwards at the Blue Vine this Saturday will be Alan Wyrick and Jim Charles, performing acoustic arrangements of original material penned by both Wyrick and Edwards.
Wyrick and Edwards have worked together to release their own solo albums. For Wyrick’s, folk tinged, self recorded, solo debut, “Poor Man’s Prayer,” he recruited many local musicians, including Charles, to accompany him on his album.
On Edwards’ albums, Wyrick wears many different hats. From engineer, producer, to multi-instrumentalist, his fingerprints are all over the recordings. Edwards has two works released to date, “Broken,” a six song EP, and “Friday Night Picture Show,” both recorded with a full electric band.
When asked how his music translates in an acoustic setting, Edwards says, “I mainly write songs on the acoustic guitar. Playing live in this sort of setting forces us to strip down the arrangements of our songs and approach them in a way that is much more raw and organic than we do in the studio.”
Both artist’s work are available on CD locally at Spenzanelli’s Coffee Shop, String Fellows Music, The Blue Vine and have also been released digitally, worldwide, on iTunes, Apple’s online music store.
Contrary to the message from music industry giants, both Edwards and Wyrick embrace the Internet.
“The Internet and iTunes give us an opportunity make our music available to markets that were impossible for a small artist to get into in the past,” says Edwards.
To find their music on iTunes, simply open your iTunes and perform a search on their names. Edwards’ album comes with an extra track that is exclusive to iTunes.
The trio will bring a variety of sound combinations with them to The Blue Vine. Edwards and Wyrick will be trading off between acoustic guitar, piano, bass and lead vocals while Charles will bounce from resonator guitar and acoustic guitar. All three will put in time as with backing vocals and harmonies.
“We have three creative minds putting a bit of ourselves into these pieces in an unpretentious and musically liberating way,” says Charles.
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Tripp Edwards, Alan Wyrick and Jim Charles appear at The Blue Vine, 209 S. Main St. this Saturday, playing from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m.
There’s no cover charge.
For more information call 704-797-0093.