Often in rock history — too often, many would say — the "three guitar attack" surfaces. Lynyrd Skynyrd. Molly Hatchett. Iron Maiden. Foo Fighters. Eagles. Wilco. Explosions in the Sky. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. On and on (and on).

Some of those units are finer than others.

Did I mention the California Guitar Trio?

They are perhaps the least well-known of the acts mentioned above. But that doesn't mean it's right. The CGT — Paul Richards, Bert Lams and Hideo Moriya — have been around for a quarter-century, and to say they're dazzling is a sad understatement. Whether creating fresh original works ranging from intricate "math problem" rock to heart-melting ambient soundscapes, or interpreting famous tunes with astonishing arrangements — Beach Boys, Queen, Bach, Mozart, their fusion of "Ghost Riders in the Sky" with "Riders on the Storm" — the California Guitar Trio is well worthy of your investigation.

It's pretty great, then, that they'll appear Friday in the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center. And, no, don't expect "Flirtin' with Disaster."

The California Guitar Trio, 8 p.m. Friday, Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 West Main St., Old Saybrook; $35; 1-877-503-1286, the kate.org.