No one in central New York makes the electric guitar sing the blues across a song's bridge like Phil Petroff.

Listeners would think he is busy enough perfecting that sweet, likeable growl his vocals are so well known for, but no, he steps up with blues power to spare on the strings.

In an opener that sounds dead-on close to the pickings of national phenom trio Los' Lonely Boys, Petroff and the Natural Fact - consisting of two-time Grammy Award winner David Olson on drums and bassist Steve Wargo - pull off original “My Mind” as an unusually peppy blues tune.

The lyrics plead “Can I change my mind?/I've got to change my mind,” but one thing this trio never changes is its love for seamless, yet gritty playing.

Olson's drums are never off track and on this single the sticks are never down, as he provides the perfect foot-tapping foreground for Wargo's sassy, persistent bass. This song may be about one man's prerogative to change his mind, but it might as well be about a Caribbean vacation for the sheer joy Petroff exudes from his guitar.

Petroff and Natural Fact, which has only ever had two actual rehearsals together in all of the years of playing, is wrapping up a new CD that has been two years in the making. On the CD is the single “Black Night,” which features special guest Chris Kane, a guitar player and vocalist from San Francisco.

Kane is known for vocals that sound like BB King.

Also guest-starring on the new album is Mark Wither of Nighthawks fame on the harmonica and the aptly-named Bruce Catz on the Hammond B-3 organ.

Both Wargo and Petroff are fond of telling the story of how they met. Before that, however, Wargo and Olson jammed together in an accidental session that led to a meant-to-be rhythm section.

Wargo and Olson met at a recording session where Olson was filling in for a drummer who had backed out. After just one song, the duo looked at each other and knew they had to keep playing together. At this point, Olson was playing with Petroff, and Wargo was invited into Petroff's band. Petroff and Olson met by chance through Petroff's day job. Petroff became friends with Olson at a company clambake.

Awed by hanging out with the man who had won two Grammys, been featured on the “Tonight Show” and who had played with Robert Craig, Petroff never thought he'd have the chance to welcome Olson into his own band.

When Olson asked, Petroff responded that he couldn't afford Olson, who laughed because he planned to take the gig on in addition to a day job. Soon, the dynamic trio was in business.

“It's all about the hang. We're comfortable, it's what we do,” Petroff said.

Petroff and Wargo wrote and produced the songs on the new album, tentatively called “Better Late Than Never, which is set to be released this summer.

If you go

What: Phil Petroff and Natural Fact

Where: The Belvedere Lounge, State Street, Auburn

When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, as part of the Saturday Summer Sound Series

Cost: Free

For details: Call 252-3950 or visit www.myspace.com/philpetroffandnaturalfact