JASON RICCI & NEW BLOOD Source: Big City Blues Date: 12/2007 Writer: Roger & Margaret White

Jason Ricci & New Blood's new CD ain't just new blood but a major transfusion pumping new life into red blooded blues. If your going to break new ground you better be on solid footing and Jason has the awards and the experience to back up his stand. He's won the Sonny Boy Blues Society Contest, the Mars National Harmonica Contest, the Muddy Waters Award for most promising new talent.  He had an endorsement with Hohner Harmonica, which he's since turned down to play customized harps. Jason has been on tour with Jr. Kimbrough, R.L Burnside, Big Al and the Heavyweights, and played with Susan Tedeschi, Billy Gibson, Nick Curran and the Fabulous Thunderbirds.  With his punk rock looks and jazz attitude this young man opened up a new vein for blues to flow. He can play like Little Walter or sound like John Popper, he's got the speed to knock you down, the style to make you stand up and take notice and the rock star presence to do as he pleases.

With a cutting edge, ready to rumble approach to blues you need a band of brothers to cover your back and the New Blood's are up for the fight. Shawn Starsky (Stachurske) a young guitarist, one of the bands main song writers has been compared to Derek Trucks, a killer lead player and a strong backup man who knows when to step back. In recent years they've added Todd Edmunds on funky bass and tuba  while Ron Sutton on drums knocks back the beat.            .

The New Blood really flows on their instrumentals, their bold blend of blues,  jazz and jam band is what drives the band. “Dodecahedron” written by Shawn Starsky  features the blazing jazz sax of Michael Peloquin while Shawn's guitar leads the way and the bass and drums take some jazz back roads. The harmonica has often been called the Mississippi Saxophone, but Jason sometimes actually plays it like a horn, trading lines with the sax matching him note for note. “The Blow Zone Layer” and “The Eternal Is” are rock'n blues instrumental where Jason and the band blow up a storm. “Sonja” slows things down, you sit back and catch your breath with some soul searching harmonica and guitar.

Add in the vocals and “Mr. Satan” pops up as a cool jumping number, a tribute to Sterling McGhee of Satan and Adam. Written by Starsky but lyrics, vocals, and a tight repeated  harp riff that Jason adds make this all his own. The“ROCKer” is a seven minuet ramble about the paranoia of drug addiction and the guitar and harmonica send chills down your spine. “I'm A New Man”express' the pain felt from living a life denial on drugs while “The Way I Hurt Myself” a look at self destruction, weakness and redemption. “Snow Flakes & Horses” a song Jason wrote while playing with Jr. Kimbrough is about addiction to hard drug that Jason has lived though. He shows he's beaten his monkey in“Loving Eyes” an eleven minuet jam with soul stirring harmonica playing that will blow you away and “Deliver Us” a plea for love and understanding.  The title cut is a nod to the future with “Rocket Number 9”,  written by the free jazz Sun Ra Arkestra over forty years ago the only cover on this recording shows just how far this new blood is taking his blues.

“Rocket Number 9” is Jason's  first recording for Delta Grooves new label Eclecto Groove and seems to be just the right fit to bring him to a larger audience. Some people may not except this new genre of electro jam blues but this band will rocket to the top if given the chance. Keep in mind, all things must change, when Muddy Waters did “Electric Mud” it was not accepted right away, but changed the path of blues.

Like many jam bands Ricci & the New Blood record some shows and post them for free down loading, if you want to hear a complete live show check out their web site at www.jasonricci.com