if i gave you my soul on platter
It was at that moment that I realized that on one level there was no difference between the artist and his/her audience. Through the expression of his pain, joy, anger and unapologetic sexuality we were all united in our humanity Jason Ricci
Some artists, that I love, meet me in my comfort zone, and some take me willingly outside of it. Jason Ricci makes me forget I ever had a comfort zone.
Jason Ricci and New Blood, “Driftin Blues” jam
“The One Least in Love”, from Blood on the Road
“Cissy Strut”, NYC, 09/06
Some lovely parting gifts: here.
categories: music
tags: blues, Cissy Strut, harmonica, Jason Ricci, rock
posted by what at 04:00 am
I haven’t seen this guy perform live yet but I hear it’s quite an experience. I read both Jason Ricci and Taylor Hicks will be featured in the upcoming harmonica documentary “Pocket Full of Soul”. A film about the harmonica! Who woulda thunk it?
http://www.myspace.com/pocketfullofsoul
(don’t miss Ricci’s post about platypusses (platypi?) in the comments)
Gah!!!
Can’t hear Cissy Strut yet!
Darn technological limitations.
I saw jason after the Taylor Hicks show in SF in May. Very cool, if not un-nerving at times. Definitely full of passion!
Jason Ricci does not pull me out of my comfort zone. This guy IS my comfort zone. The blues + rock + some post punk type vocals + enough energy to power a small city, this harmonica virtuoso floats my boat!
SRV on the harmonica. Is that overstating it? I don’t think so. This guy can make a harmonica do amazing things.
Do NOT f*ck around. DO go hear him live. Bring him a redbull and watch for possible handstands and/or flying harmonicas.
I love this guy.
That first video is from Jason’s show at Biscuits & Blues in May, post Taylor’s concert. I was blown away by him. He holds nothing back. And he IS like SRV on harmonica - best blues harmonica I have ever heard.
(That first video can’t be from Biscuits & Blues because that show was May 9th and that video was posted May 1st…)
is that venue Biscuits and Blues? Ricci and New Blood have played there before this past may. Here’s a great review of a Feb. 2006 gig there. Where you saw SRV, this reviewer sees Hendrix. Not bad company. This guy is it, when it comes to harmonica. I’ve seen him live only once, but not in a late night club. That’s high on my must do list.
Brad Kava review
By the background I don’t think the venue is B&B…B&B has shutter door things behind the stage, not posters or signs. But whatever the venue, that is one smokin’ vid. Holy sh*t! Makes my heart beat faster.
If you go see a show, you get to watch him do that for a 2 or 3 hours straight. Crazy, man.
When someone is so off the scale amazing like Jason - what can you say? I mean - I just listen to his stuff over and over entranced and speechless. He almost does a thing like shredding on the harp — except counter to any of the down stuff that people say about shred guitar playing criticizing folks for going for speed, articulation but not feeling (something that is not a fair commentary for many shredders either for that matter) Jason imbues each moment with so much soul that the task of trying to corral the feelings with words is just too daunting. You know in fantasy those creatures that are shape changers?? Well, he turns the harp into a shape changer — it becomes all different instruments and then a thing NEW altogether — and finally a harp again. LOVELY
WOW.. Okay, stories of attending the Church of Jason and surviving to testify:
I also had the incredible good fortune to be at Biscuits & Blues on May 9th… I had organized a little party there for all of us “Sidewalk SPers” to go to after Taylor’s Warfield concert, and the owner Steve, who’s really great, (and had never heard of Taylor before- I gave him a serious TH education!), created letters for me to give to TH and all his band and crew inviting them to have a late Southern Food dinner and to enjoy Jason’s show ‘on the house’…
Josh and Brian G. were the only two to make it there, and as it turns out, Josh is an old friend of Jason’s and of Shawn Starski, Jason’s AMAZING guitarist. Josh also told me that he had played at B&B in the late 90s when he (Josh) was touring with his own band…
(I was familiar with Biscuits & Blues from going a number of times in past years to see my friend Otis Taylor play there - another extraordinary. truly unique blues musician - “what”, pls consider highlighting Otis sometime here at c2what…)
Well, after being completely blown away at the edge of the stage at the Warfield, to then go to this wonderful tiny basement club a few blocks away and be blown away all over again by Jason and his band til after 2 a.m., made for one of the most memorable nights of music I’ve experienced in my life..
I could barely crawl down the street with Tina and justwatchin to my car after we closed down the place.. Spent a long time talking with Jason at the end, and he’s so friendly and gracious.. loves to talk with folks who appreciate his art…
Following up on Malisa and T&J’s posts, Jason is indeed also totally wacked out when he performs: At B&B he got so crazed in one of his endless encores that he ended up flat horizontal on the floor and stage still playing and singing after kicking over the mic stand and the stool holding a huge box of all his harmonicas (about 20 of them at least!), which went flying all over the floor.. wish there had been video of that show but I don’t remember anyone getting it…
I could not sit during his show.. imho, major boogeying/dancing music…
FYI: The first YouTube video you posted above is from “Harpin’ Help” - The Jersey Shore Jazz Blues Foundation : “puts on an annual charity event that generates food and money for those in need. We endeavor to bring you a memorable show, featuring some of the greatest musicians in the world showcasing the power and versatility of a small and highly under-rated instrument, the harmonica..”
Stumbled across this blog today. I just posted 4 videos of Jason Ricci and New Blood at Biscuits and Blues on May 9, 2007, for those interested.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=RedwoodCurtain
Redwood, dude, you are my new best friend
Thank you, Redwood!! I’ve looked high and low for some vids or recordings of that night. You took some really nice vids, and you got that sweet Shawn Starski solo…Thank you so much for posting them!