JASON RICCI & NEW BLOOD Source: AntOnline Date: 12/2007 Writer: Customer Review

RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN SAYS: ""SHADES" OF PAUL BUTTERFIELD!"

In May 2007 I went to see the legendary Buddy Guy in concert in San Jose. There were probably 6-8 opening acts scheduled that were basically unheard of. My son, and my friend and I, were in the beer garden which was cordoned off about 50-60 yards from the stage having a few "brewskies" in order to get fired up for Buddy, when I heard some musical sounds wafting my way that caught my attention. The first "cooking" sounds I heard were of a waling "harp" being blown. Before I even focused on the stage I said: "Man! That sounds like the "Paul Butterfield Blues Band"! Then the whole band kicked in and it was vintage Paul Butterfield material. I said who the hell are these guys? Well, the answer to that question was, "Jason Ricci & New Blood". It was early afternoon and Jason shook the crowd out of its mid-day slumber with rocking-bluesy-stomping savagery, with his uninhibited harp shaking the crowd like the Pied Piper shook the rats! With each passing song Jason talked more "smack" to the crowd. I don't know if he had a late night the previous evening, but by the end you couldn't make any sense of what he was proselytizing about, but you sure didn't need an interpreter for his "harp".

I went up to buy a CD but he said they didn't have any, but to look on Amazon. I got home and checked Amazon and they didn't have anything with samples. Then last week I saw the release of this CD and bought it. Wow! 12 songs totaling 74 minutes. His "harp-blowing" on this CD transcends a full spectrum of diversity, from hard rocking blues, to sounds of what can only be described as a harmonica crying. What unbridled talent this young man has, and his band gets to highlight their talents on a number of songs also. On some instrumentals Jason sounds exactly like Paul Butterfield, and on others he sounds like the 13 year old Stevie Wonder blowing "harp" on "Ebb Tide".

Even more important than Jason's music, I'd like to congratulate him on his being "clean and sober" for more than 9 years now! Look forward to seeing you down the road brother!