The band is best known today as Grace Slick's vehicle for the classics "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love."

But at its genesis - before Grace even joined - Jefferson Airplane was one of the first groups to put a harder edge to folk music, producing what became known (and is still revered by many) as folk-rock.

One key to the early Airplane's success was the vocal blend of co-founders Marty Balin and Paul Kantner, along with Signe Anderson, the original female singer. The combination of two men and one woman worked effectively to the point where it became a template for other folk-rock groups to follow.

So it's with high praise that I compare the sound of the Primatives to that of the Airplane. The trio - Jesse Hanson; his wife, Lila; and their bass player, Jack - basically features three lead singers, a distinctive touch in a day one most bands seem to lean toward one front man (or woman).

"The three-part harmonies are kind of ourspecialtyy," says Lila, whose background in the music of India also helps shape the Primatives' sound.

The group's instrumentation is effectively spare, with Jack's fluid bass dancing around Jesse's acoustic guitar lines, accentuated by Lila's low-key percussion and well-placed fills on silver flute. The approach lets the vocals take center stage, bringing emphasis to Jesse's poignant lyrics.

Jesse says he's been writing songs since he was in junior high school, "taking so many different influences from so many different people." Among them, he cites the seminal country of Hank Williams Sr., the well-crafted compositions of the Beatles and the folk-rock bent of Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Neil's band Buffalo Springfield.

He led an earlier lineup of the Primatives that recorded a CD, "The Lovers of Kali Yuga," several years ago. Some tracks were recorded in North Dakota, and the project wrapped up after Jesse and Lila - they met over the Internet - decided to settle in the Pittsburgh area.

One night, performing as a duo at Club Cafe on the South Side, they met another musician on the bill as Jesse was attempting to haul in their equipment.

"He had two guitars in his hand, trying to open the door," Jack recalls. That evening, he says, he enjoyed their upbeat style, and the groundwork was laid for the Primatives becoming a trio.

Jack actually started his musical career drummer, playing in garage bands around Bethel Park, covering everything from Steppenwolf to Led Zeppelin. On the formal side, he also was part of a drum corps that placed highly in national competitions.

The diverse influences of band members combine for a sound that will be on display with the completion of the new Primatives CD, to be called "Primitive Spirit" (yes, that's with an "i").

"That's going to be the character of the band as it is now," Jesse says.

In addition to playing shows around the area, the Primatives host an open stage the second and fourth Fridays of each month at the Coffee Den in Mt. Lebanon, playing a few songs themselves and encouraging other artists to play. The event has received a very good response, and an intergenerational one.

"The nice thing is, the younger people listen to the older people," Lila says, "and the older people listen to the younger people," Lila says.

Click here for upcoming dates.