JON STICKLEY TRIO: Maybe Believe

Playing instrumental music that straddles multiple genres by design, the John Stickley Trio from North Carolina has toured heavily and released five CDs and an EP since 2007. Acoustic guitarist Stickley teams up with violinist Lyndsay Pruett and drummer Patrick Armitage on material that is mostly original, but mixed with occasional covers; they play songs that can be new takes on bluegrass, progressive/ fusion jazz hybrids, and exploratory exercises that seem to put multiple genres in a blender. Stickley is a flatpicker who can burn off supersonic arpeggios on the fretboard and has an inventive feel for riff building; Pruett is a good foil for him, as their instruments often dance to the rattling pulse of Armitage’s kit, sometimes joining for a unison moment, then making their own statements. Their new album is Maybe Believe, a dozen songs that are different from what listeners will hear just about anywhere else.

“Jewels” is the opening number, raining a downpour of picked harmonics from Stickley–the violin plays lyrical answers that sound like a delicate, echoing human voice. Soon it is time for “Playpeople,” a churning piece built on buzzing bass string drone, broken by unison pizzicatos that sound like a ticking clock; this tune shows the level of musicianship in the band, as a bridge shows Pruett’s confident soloing over power strums by Stickley.

The band steps into fusion jazz territory on “Slow Burn,” with a stutter-step time signature and an opening guitar break that includes rock chops and fiery speed, matched by similar flash on violin. After several tracks that have been miles from anything bluegrass, “Jerusalem Ridge” gives the players a chance on an old Bill Monroe standard to kick out the jams-both Stickley and Pruett sizzle on the toe-tapper.

Sometimes a small band can sound huge, like they do on “Cecil.” This unusual piece of progressive music varies from full-bore heavy to softly reflective, and has fiery moments and sizzling runs by the principals–a highlight. “Microbruise” is a guitar tour de force for Stickley, who gets to pull out quite a few of his licks for a song that sounds like a new grass-jazz crossover. “Mt. Sandia Swing” takes the same vibe further, with a heavy drum/bass hook giving the fusion feel of some of the past guitar/violin material by Al DiMeola and Jean-Luc Ponty, especially since Stickley’s lightning pick emulates DiMeola’s.

The trio get back to bluegrass business for “Birdland Breakdown.” While this standard is known for Tony Rice’s version, one would never know it hearing Stickley fly over the fretboard; he is in total command and makes the notes dance. The disc ends with a nonsequitur or sorts; “Lady Time” is a brief and uninspired song built on violin plucking and eastern modes,but it seems to go nowhere. After it ends, a hidden, unfinished track is revealed that is just guitar, with some very fast sixteenth note bridges.

Maybe Believe shows that the Jon Stickley Trio has moved beyond bluegrass, making music that is fascinating and unique.