Jason Ricci and The Bad Kind

Jason Ricci Vocalist, Harmonica Player, Songwriter BIOGRAPHY *In 1995 Portland Maine's Jason Ricci began his international music career by moving to Memphis to study with former Johnny Winter sideman Pat Ramsey. That same year Ricci won the Sonny Boy Blues Society contest and played the King Biscuit festival at 20 years old. Since then Ricci has won dozens of blues and harmonica contests, toured the world and amassed an impressive collection of awards, honors and accolades. In 2010 Ricci's album "Done With The Devil" (Delta Groove) was nominated for a BMA Award. In 2010 Jason won the BMA Award for "Best Harmonica Player" beating his childhood heroes: Kim Wilson, Billy Branch, Mark Hummel and Rick Estrin. In 2014 Ricci was a featured artist on Johnny Winter's Grammy Award winning album "Step Back"produced by Paul Nelson appearing along side names like Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Brian Setzer, Billy Gibbons, Leslie West and more. In 2015 Ricci was invited by Paul Shaffer to play on the HBO televised Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony for Paul Butterfield. At The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Ricci performed in front of 10,000 people and millions of HBO viewers with Zac Brown ( Multi-Platinum Singer Songwriter) and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello with the Paul Shaffer band. *Jason Ricci is well known for having one of the most exciting, energetic and unpredictable live shows on the circuit. His live performances are sweaty, sexual, intense and creative events. Ricci has been actively touring the Blues circuit in the USA and Europe for over twenty years. In 2005 The Mercury News listed Jason Ricci's show in a "Top Ten Best Shows" of 2005 list alongside acts such as Springsteen, Rush, Prince and Green Day for best concerts of the year. Jason's shows feature a variety of music from Blues, Punk, Jazz, R&B, and Fusion. He s just as likely to cover music by Little Walter, Otis Rush, Sonny Boy Williamson and Slim Harpo as he is The Misfits, Sun Ra, Lou Reed or Cheech and Chong. Ricci is an edgy performer, singer, songwriter and interview. Jason's career has been ripe with discussion, controversy and appreciation alike. He was/is the first and only male Blues performer in history to admit, interview, discuss and own the fact that he is openly gay/bi-sexual or "queer" as he call's it. His song "Broken Toy" is a a testament to those struggles and a favorite amongst his audiences straight, gay and otherwise. . *As a sideman Jason Ricci has professionally gigged or toured with: Walter Trout, Nick Moss, Junior Kimbrough, RL Burnside, Big Al and The Heavy Weights, Damon Fowler, Sugar Ray Norcia,The Mark Hummel Harmonica Blow Off, The Johnny Winter Remembrance Project, Mike Zito, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Ana Popovic and many more. *As a recording artist Jason Ricci has released eight solo albums. His last two (Delta Groove/EclectoGroove Records) "Rocket Number Nine" (produced by John Porter) and "Done With The Devil (produced by Phil Wolfe)" both charted The Billboard Blues Charts in top five positions and both won numerous awards. As a session musician Jason Ricci has played harmonica on albums by: Nick Curran, JJ Appleton, Rue Davis, Nick Moss, Walter Trout, Johnny Winter, The Mannish Boys, Ana Popovic, Cedric Burnside and Lightin' Malcom, Joe Louis Walker, Sean Kellerman, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, JP Soars and so many more. *Additionally, Jason Ricci has one of the most popular harmonica related youtube channels with over 150 free harmonica lessons, 15,000 subscribers and and well over 4,500,000 total million views. Ricci is well known in the harmonica community as an early pioneer of the "over-blow" technique (transforming the 10 hole diatonic into a fully chromatic instrument) invented/popularized by Howard Levy, the mastery of this technique has earned Jason a variety of jobs recording and performing in musical situations where other players technically simply could not. Jason is also one of the very first harmonica players to widely use, incorporate, design and popularize the use of effects pedals for harmonica. Jason Ricci has helped design one of the top selling harmonica microphones in the world The Ultimate 57 ( modified shure 57). He has signature effects pedals and plays a large role in the advancement of amplification, microphones effects and harmonicas themselves for major companies world wide. Ricci is widely acclaimed as a celebrated harmonica and musical educator, appearing at dozens of conventions and teaching events every year worldwide. Any real player, music lover or google search will confirm today that Portland Maine born Jason Ricci remains one of the most popular, electrifying, innovative, influential, and versatile harmonica players alive and working. Jason is sited on dozens of top ten lists all over the internet, respected by his peers, students, academies and music fans world wide. Jason Ricci currently lives in New Orleans Louisiana and Bloomington Indiana, he fronts his own New Orleans based band "Jason Ricci and The Bad Kind", he is currently also touring behind his recent collaboration and chart topping album "Dirty Memory" with New York City's JJ Appleton featuring bassist Tim Lefebvre (Derek Trucks/SnL). Jason Ricci regularly appears as a front man, harmonica player, vocalist or side man on high profile stages, albums, television, internet, radio and other events everywhere. *Jason Ricci is officially currently endorsed by the following companies: Suzuki Harmonicas, Lone Wolf Blues Company and Effects Pedals , Harp Gear Amplification, Blows Me Away Microphones, Pedal Train, and Blue Moon Harmonica Combs. He uses Joe Spiers as a harmonica Customizer on many harmonicas. Discography 1995: Jason Ricci 1997: Down At The Juke 2001: Feel Good Funk 2004: Live At Checkers Tavern 2005: Her Satanic Majesty Requests Harmonica Music (compilation) 2006: Blood on the Road 2007: Rocket Number 9 2009: Done with the Devil 2010: Down That Road... (compilation) 2015: Dirty Memory (Jason Ricci and JJ Appleton) QUOTES -"The two most exciting performances of the night: Green Day -The other belonged to Tom Morello, Doyle Bramhall II and Zac Brown with harmonica player Jason Ricci performing "Born in Chicago" in tribute to the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Not only did Ricci slay, but Morello played a nasty scabrous solo that raised the hairs on your arm, it was so alive."- CNN on 2015 The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions -Portland Tribune: "You've spoken before of your admiration for Howard Levy (former harmonica player for Bela Fleck). Any other harp players you admire on the scene right now?" Popper: Jason Ricci. (Adding Ricci is often compared to him. 'I have a feeling I annoy the man slightly,' he adds with a laugh. However, he says Ricci is a great player 'who uses amp technique in a very different direction than I do.') - John Popper (Blues Traveler) -"Someone I like a lot is Jason Ricci, He's a great player" "Jason Ricci is a really innovative. He's just a rocking' player, I've never met him but I really love his playing" - Mickey Raphael -"Thanks for loaning us a master musician" "He's a great, great player it's such a pleasure" - Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) -"Instead of trying to be the next Little Walter via Estrin/Piazza/Wilson or blowing high-end speed harp like John Popper or Sugar Blue, Ricci relies on an individualistic style that has touches of his heroes, but more often is all Ricci." - Art Tipaldi (writer for Blues Revue Magazine and author of Sons of the Blues)" -" I am convinced that he (Jason Ricci) along with New Jersey's Dennis Gruenling is one of the best players of his generation" - Adam Gussow (Author and member of Satan and Adam) -"Ricci links the jazz mastery of Howard Levy, with the blues precision of Jerry Portnoy and hits speeds that make John Popper look like he's standing still." - Brad Kava (Mercury News) -"Jason Ricci has taken the harmonica to a new place. It's like listening to John Coltrane or something, he's really pushing the boundaries to an incredible degree. He really pisses off the blues purists even more than I do and we sort of became friends over that (laughs)He does jazz and funk and all kinds of stuff, almost like Sonny Rollins. He fits great on 'The Outsider' and in November I'm bringing him to Holland for 5 shows as my special guest. 'Cos I want to help him get going in Europe; He also has his own band Jason Ricci and New Blood on Electro Groove, THE new label in America. You should see this guy live! He's an astounding live performer and he's unique, nobody plays like this guy. I mean technically - and I'm a harp player too - I know what he's pulling off on that instrument; he's really great." - Walter Trout "Absolute total wrecks of human beings. This band is comprised of some of the worst people on Earth barely standing before you with no regard for anything worth while in life" -Rolling Stone