JASON RICCI & NEW BLOOD Source: Birmingham Weekly Date: 08/2008 Writer: n/a

Weekly Picks

Blues music is in dire need of young musicians to carry the torch for the genre. Fortunately, blues harpist Jason Ricci is doing his part to keep the momentum going while layering in sounds that reveal his varied influences. On Sunday, May 18, Jason Ricci & New Blood will perform at Southside's Phelan Park. The 3 p.m. show is presented by the Magic City
Blues Society. Like his contemporaries Los Lonely Boys and Blues Traveler, Ricci's sound is blues-based but is not limited to a traditional format. At age 21, Ricci won the Sonny Boy Blues Society Contest and later took first place in the Mars National Harmonica Contest. Now 33, the Nashville resident spends roughly 300 days on the road each year. His latest release - Rocket Number 9 - was released in 2007 by Eclecto Groove Records. The disc was produced by Grammy-winning producer John Porter (Los Lonely Boys, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Ryan Adams). In addition to winning the support of blues aficionados, Ricci has also found favor in the jamband scene and his live shows are regularly traded throughout that musical community.