Powertrane

Powertrane are an exciting, hard-hitting rock band bringing together three generations of Michigan's musical heritage and demonstrating that soul and hard rock are alive, well, and living together. Powertrane feature lead singer and guitarist Scott Morgan, an important figure in the Detroit/Ann Arbor music scene who sang with the legendary rock & soul combo the Rationals in the 1960s and wrote and performed alongside former MC5 guitarist Fred "Sonic" Smith in Sonic's Rendezvous Band in the 1970s. In 2001, Morgan was introduced to Robert Gillespie, a talented guitarist with an impressive résumé of his own; he played with MC5 vocalist Rob Tyner in the 1970s, was a member of the noted Detroit underground band the Torpedos in the '70s and '80s, formed the Motor City Rockers with Jimmy Marinos of the Romantics, and has had a long tenure as lead guitarist with Mitch Ryder's touring band. Morgan and Gillespie's styles were a good match, and they decided to form a band, recruiting a young and energetic rhythm section — Chris "Box" Taylor on bass (who had played with several fine Ann Arbor combos, including Mazinga and the Avatars) and Andy Frost on drums (who had worked with Morgan in the Hydromatics and also kept time with the High Rollers). In 2001, Powertrane made their live debut, and in 2002 highlights from a pair of live shows the group played with special guests Deniz Tek and Ron Asheton were collected on the album Ann Arbor Revival Meeting. After extensive live work, Powertrane made their studio debut with the album Beyond the Sound. By the time the long-gestating album was released in 2007, Andy Frost had left the group, and Dave Knepp (of the Sights and the Singles) had signed on as its new drummer. Knepp's time with the band proved to be short-lived, as Alex King became Powertrane's new drummer in time for the sessions for their 2009 single "2 + 2 = ?," a powerful cover of Bob Seger's classic antiwar tune. Powertrane played their last show at Don Was' Concert of Colors at Orchestra Hall in Detroit in July of 2009.