[Harp-L] Jason Ricci in Youngstown

["samblancato" <samblancato@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hey Folks,

I drove up to Youngstown last night (about 70 min. drive) to see Jason Ricci
and boy was it worth the trip.  In this past year I've seen Kim Wilson, Rod
Piazza (up in Erie, Pa),  Charley Musslewhite, and Little Charlie and the
Nightcats. Not to detract from any of these performers at all (I love all of
their music) but Jason Ricci's performance was the most satisfying because
it had a couple of added dimensions; Recci's performance was refreshing and
surprising.  He has injected power blues harp with funk, innovation, and a
playfulness that I really think is needed these days.  You can hear the nod
to tradition in his playing, sometimes in quotation marks, but then there is
this other, newer posture there too.  Well, as the guy introducing him to
the crowd said, he's real blues even though he looks like he plays in Nine
Inch Nails.  Anyway, from where I stand, I see a lot of blues harp front men
drifting toward the cliché with the bowling shirts and short brimmed hats,
and the music, too, can get that way even though it's still fun for me to
both listen to and play. So when you see a guy come up and put a really new
spin on it all and do it with skill and flair, it just makes you feel good,
makes you feel like there's new things to say.

I also think I'm going to spend a lot of time in the woodshed this winter.
I might as well cancel cable.



Sam Blancato, Pittsburgh