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Jason Ricci and New Blood - Done with the Devil
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Jason Ricci is the new kid in town. His previous “Rocket N° 9” spent a total of 7 weeks on the Billboard blues chart peaking at # 4. Not bad at all for a young – white – harp player who looks like a punk rocker. His appeal also charmed distinguished Blues magazines such as “Blues Revue” and, more surprisingly, “Living Blues”, the guardian of Blues orthodoxy around the world. The Templers are of course aware of Ricci’s impeccable musical pedigree. Close friend of Big Bad Smitty, a regular fixture of Mississippi clubs with acquaintances like David Kimborogh and the late great R.L. Burnside, Ricci also played with albino guitar master Johnny Winter and with Pat Ramsey. Ricci and New Blood are by all means versatile and talented musicians with an original approach to the Blues. If the initial “Dove with the devil” would fit well in a Mississippi North Hills collection, other tracks conjure up other influences: “I turned into a Martian” sounds like contemporary Rockabilly, jazz-oriented “Ptryptophan Pterodactyl” evokes – at least in the title – Mingus’ Pithecanthropus Erectus notwithstanding the inclusion of “Enlightenment”, a manifesto-track by the legendary Sun Ra. Moreover, the mellifluous atmosphere of “Afro Blue” and its captivating riff evolve into a strenuous harp solo followed by a jazz exercise from guitarist Shaw Starski who, at same stages, appears more consistent than Ricci. As you have probably guessed, the weakness of this CD is in his variety of styles and readings of musical inspirations. PDB would prefer the outstanding conservative blues approach as dictated by “As Long as I have You”, the peak of this remarkable collection. Luca Lupoli
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Sweet Loving |
