The Alternative Zen Blues Trial

The Alternative Zen Blues Trial (AZBT) is a power trio that fuses raw blues energy, psychedelic improvisation, and deep-pocketed funk into a sound all their own. Their name nods to both the band’s improvisational ethos and Johnny Winter’s The Progressive Blues Experiment—a fitting touchstone for a group whose sound bridges the legacy of power trios like Cream and Band of Gypsys with modern trailblazers like the North Mississippi All-Stars and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

What sets AZBT apart is the rare alchemy of its members’ musical lineages. Drummer Zack Kirk Olsen blends punk ferocity with jazz finesse, having toured globally with ska pioneers Slow Gherkin before becoming a sought-after blues and jazz session player. Bassist Etienne David Franc delivers fluid R’n’B grooves shaped by years of work with top-tier pop, soul, and world music artists. And frontman Preacher Boy—a long-time roots and blues innovator hailed as “The Godfather of Alt. Blues”—channels gritty, poetic lyricism through a guitar style rooted in raw country blues and funky blues-rock.

AZBT’s live shows are where it all comes together: funky, fierce, and full of surprise. Musicians listen. Dancers move. And everyone digs the blackstrap funk.