JASON RICCI & NEW BLOOD "DONE WITH THE DEVIL" Source: Music City Blues Society Date: 06/2009 Writer: Don Crowe

Jason Ricci is in of the most innovative harp players on the contemporary scene today.  He can coax the bluesiest blues or the funkiest funk notes out of that "Mississippi saxophone," with incredible fire and passion, and, often in the same song!  He and his band, The New Blood, have just released their latest CD on Eclecto Groove Records, "Done With The Devil."  This one is even more aggressive and diverse than its 2007 predecessor, "Rocket Number 9," which lauded Jason's immense talents.  "Done With The Devil" has a little something for everyone--some Cicago-style blues, funk, punk, hill-country blues, and some avant-garde jazz riffing that truly shows the scope of this band.

Along with Jason on harp and vocals, this band "leads the league in Shawns," with Shawn Starski and Shawn Kellerman on guitars and vocals, Todd Edmunds on bass, Rudy Miller and Ed Michaels on drums, and keyboard whiz Phillip Wolfe.  Starski, one of "Guitar Player" magazine's Top Ten Hottest New Guitarists," is the perfect foil for Jason's harp.  He has a bold, fat tone, and both players feed off the other's energy.  Check out the primal-scream opening of the title cut, with its droning, rapid-fire beat and hill-country feel.  A song written by Glenn Danzig with a decidedly punk outlook, "I Turned Into A Martian," might remind some listeners of Col. J. D. Wilkes and Th' Shack Shakers.  More "normal" blues offerings are represented by the soul of "Sweet Loving,", and the grit of "As Long As I Have You."

The instrumentals are breathtaking, sonic swoops of all the instruments playing off one another.  On "Enlightenment," Jason utilizes a polyphonia harp that sounds more like a horn section than a harp.

We had two favorites, too.  "Afro Blue" is an instrumental written by Mongo Santamaria that Jason morphs into "My Favorite Things," again using those odd-sounding harps.  And, "Broken Toy" was our other favorite.  For those who may not know, Jason leads an openly gay lifestyle.  However, it matters not to us, for, in the words of Bocephus, "we ain't here to talk about the habits--just the music and the man."  We would not have mentioned it at all save for the stoic poignancy of Jason's lyrics in this song of one who "feels out of place----" "I'm an outsider/I'm a misfit/Not a girl or a boy, I feel like a broken toy."  His harp breaks add to the pain you can feel in his vocal delivery.    

Jason Ricci is taking the harmonica to another dimension, a place where it's never been before as far as the blues is concerned.  Get on board and enjoy "Done With The Devil!"