Subject: [Harp-L] 6/30/2009 Review on Jason Ricci By Mrs. BluEyes (Connie)

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Hi Abner and Connie. I took care of sending it on to JR.

GREAT review as I'd expressed earlier. Well worth the read. Glad to
welcome an articulate and harmonica-appreciative woman to the list. :)

Elizabeth

"If anyone Has Jason Ricci's personal email address pls foward this to him
RE:  Jason Ricci & New Blood  â Took me two days to come down and right
this.
I bought myself a Marine Band âcheapieâ at Cracker  Barrel a few years
ago.  Thought Iâd like the experience of âfiddlinâ  around trying to make
decent sounds come out of it.  My mom could  play.  Why not me? Somehow, it
wound up in the hands of my husband, whose  use was therapeutic â he is a
chronic asthmatic.  But over time, he started  getting more serious about playing,
and he started researching and purchasing  Lee Oskars and other Marines to
begin with.  Then his close friend and  co-worker, a guitar player, got
excited at the prospect of playing with my  husband.
Now, they get  together almost every Sunday and jam.  My husbandâs harp
collection has  grown to over a dozen, including Suzukis, Turbos,  to which I
have  contributed several, I must say.  My favorite is his Seydel 1847 in G,
with  which I gifted him on Fatherâs Day (heâs my Daddy!).  Now weâre
awaiting  delivery of a Kalamazoo from Greg Heumann to go along with  his bullet
mic.
Weâve listened to so  many incredible artists over the past year.  And weâ
ve gone to see Corky  Siegel and Charlie Musselwhite, which helped to
solidify our love of harmonica  music, particularly the blues.
Through harp-l Abner has âmetâ Jason Ricci, whose music  weâve heard
through his website.  Itâs right up our alley.  When we  discovered he was coming
to town, of course we planned weeks in advance to be in  attendance.
Sitting as close as possible to the stage (at one of the bars  in Bostonâs on the
Beach, Delray Beach, Florida) we (Abner, Marilu, Scott,  Richard and me)
got to watch the set up and feel the excitement building. The  following â
reviewâ if you will, comes from someone who is NOT a harp player, but  a music
lover.
As  musicians, Jason Ricci and New Blood blew me  away!  The passion and
emotion was so clearly apparent.  The level of  musicianship was second to
none.  These guys were consummate professionals  whose love of what they were
doing was prevalent to fame or fortune.  Kind  of like baseball players when
they played for love of the  game.
Jasonâs stage presence was all-encompassing.  I got  the feeling I was as
necessary to him as he was to me in that the sharing of the  music was what
it was all about. I kept thinking of a young child who does  something he is
impressed with and surprised at, and this child canât wait to  show
everybody else â but show because heâs amazed not because he wants praise.  I could
see and feel Abnerâs joy as he listened intently to a level of  playing
that I can only describe as complete, although I have no doubt Jason  will
continue to grow, as all great artists to.  This was Mariluâs first  harp show
and she was so moved, it has stayed with  her.
Guitarist Shawn  Starski was amazing.  He made playing that guitar look
easy.  The  sounds he created were mystical and magical and as a Santana fan I
know and  appreciate guitar playing.  His accompaniment was flawless, the
melodies  carrying me well beyond any expectations I naively brought with me.
 Bendiciones, Boricua!  Blessings to you, my fellow Puerto Rican â my mom
was from the island, too.
Buck Weed!  AKA  Todd Edmunds, wow, what a bass player.  I just loved
watching him funk  out.  His solos were so rhythmic, I couldnât keep still.  He
knows he  is a master and he has no problem sharing that with the audience.
And,  like a true master, he doesnât flaunt it, doesnât act jaded or
insincere.   Truly a master.  His melodic solo was transcendental.  His manner,
just as those of his bandmates, was down-to-earth and  approachable.
Ed Michaels, Drummer Extraordinaire!  Keeping time  with so much more than
the music, he sat on his throne sending waves of energy  that picked up the
music of his bandmates and drove it onto the shores of the  dance floor.
Our senses were drenched.
And that is the best way I can describe being a witness  to the music of
Jason Ricci and New Blood.  I gladly gave over my  senses.   The music was
alive.  Every form was vivid and rich,  whether it was dirty blues, reggae,
funk, all of it.  It came in through  the pores and never really exited.  And
thatâs alright.  And true for  every person I spoke to that was in the place.
 I can close only with this  â when will he be back in the area to touch my
soul again, for I am now, a  believer?
~ Mrs.  BluEyes"
**************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy
steps!
(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222585087x1201462804/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd=
JulystepsfooterNO62)