Music
JON STICKLEY TRIO
Scripting the Flip
RECORD LABEL:Crossroads Label Group
GENRE:Americana, Bluegrass, Jazz, Rock
DESCRIPTION:
Americana; Organic Records — STREAM / BUY album
The Jon Stickely Trio, known for creating genre-defying acoustic music, continues to do so on their fifth album and Organic Records debut, Scripting The Flip, now available.
Rooted in the traditions of bluegrass but combining gypsy jazz, avant garde, rock and even EDM music into a powerfully unique sound, the Trio — which features Jon Stickley on guitar, Lyndsay Pruett on violin and Hunter Deacon on drums — has crafted songs that are intelligent, joyful and unconventional, something the Trio’s rapidly growing and increasingly devoted fan base has come to expect.
Chris Pandolfi of The Infamous Stringdusters says, “The Jon Stickley Trio makes music of the absolute highest quality. Their new album is replete with virtuosity, chops and innovative compositions, while demonstrating a firm grasp on a wide spectrum of genres. But that’s not why I’m playing Scripting the Flip on repeat. This music moves me! Jon, Lyndsay and Hunter back up their technical ability with an abundance of substance and emotion. The JS3 sound more like a synchronous unit than ever before, and their new record takes every aspect of their game up a notch.”
The first, “Animate Object,” is an intelligent blend of jazz, latin, and dance music. It’s unconventional and alluring, making it a perfect example of the group’s twist on acoustic-based music. “The world is a swirling collection of objects passing through space and time. As humans, we have our own orbits that intersect with others as we live in the world. ‘Animate Object’ explores the idea of different musical orbits coming together to create something unexpected,” says Stickley.
Inspired by the late night festival sets the Trio loves to play, where it often takes on a life of its own, “Don’t Slip” is the group’s dance anthem. “Overall this song is one of the most ‘us’ tracks we’ve ever recorded,” says Stickley. “It’s about the freedom to explore and get lost in the groove, and when it takes over, make sure not to slip!”
The third is a characteristically witty yet deeply rooted take on a bluegrass classic: legendary fiddler Kenny Baker’s “Bluegrass In The Backwoods.” Stickley adds, “The tune captures one of the coolest aspects of bluegrass: its ability to naturally incorporate other genres and styles. It’s easy to hear the influences of gypsy jazz, and even bebop in the phasing of the melody.”
These, with the album’s 8 other instrumental offerings, move through moods that evolve over the course of the album and even within the tracks themselves. More highlights include “Driver,” with guest banjoist Andy Thorn of Leftover Salmon, which reunites Stickley with a long-time friend and former bandmate in a slice of modern Colorado ‘grass, and the title track, “Scripting the Flip,” where intricately geometrical musical phrases act as a metaphor for this Trio’s aim, blending and extending a style rooted in one world but entering another.
In this way, the Jon Stickley Trio transcends the standards of acoustic music with a wide range of influences masterfully integrated into a signature approach. The collection sums up the Jon Stickley Trio: A three way collaboration expressing music that comes from the heart and the mind and speaks to both.