Jason Ricci

The Big Easy Sound of Ricci/Krown on City Country City

Any album that starts with a Hammond B3 organ intro has my attention. One that then integrates some Big Easy style harmonica is just plain badass.The new Jason Ricci and Joe Krown collaboration, City Country City on Gulf Coast Records, starts just that way with the title cut and is infused throughout with the rhythms of a bluesy fall day in the French Quarter roamin’ down Royal Street and then perhaps eating beignets out by the mighty Mississippi in New Orleans.

Jason has long been considered one of the premier harmonica players of the blues genre and Joe Krown, an established piano and organ player in New Orleans, is also a member of the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band. Together with monster drummer Doug Belote, they lay down a sound that reflects the city in which they all reside. In parts funky and soul infused, the recording is a very enjoyable listen.

Besides the title cut, I also enjoyed the instrumentals Down n’ Dirty, My Mama Told Me So, It Starts with Me, and Upshot. I was particularly impressed with their reinterpretation of the Bobby Gentry classic Ode to Billy Joe as a blues funk instrumental. Jason’s work on the harmonica on the song takes the tune to a whole new level.

On Badger the Witness, Jason and Joe channel Doctor John to perfection. Feel Good Funk is just that and my favorite song on the album is Down At the Juke. It’s just a perfect “down the bayou” tune reflective of some places I used to frequent while growing up and working in southern Louisiana. If you enjoy the low down blues, you won’t find much better than the trio’s rendition of Charles Brown’s Drifting Blues with Joe’s haunting organ setting just the right vibe and counterpoint to some sweet harmonica playing. Listening to Jason on this song will help you to understand why blues music lovers rave about his talent. I also enjoyed their cover of Sonny Boy Williamson’s Just a Playboy with Joe pounding those ivories.

The textures and rhythms of this album embody the city of New Orleans and are reflective of the powerhouse talents of Jason, Joe, and Doug. Though they all have busy schedules with other bands, it is my hope that they will carve out some time to tour a bit together. I think people world wide would enjoy some of their Big Easy blues.

Ricci Krown – City Country City (Gulf Coast Records 2021)

Ben Vee started out spinning songs on terrestrial radio and at nightclubs back in the 1970’s in his home state of Louisiana. After a career in the construction business, he returned to DJing in 2011. He now hosts two shows each week on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com and writes about the blues at http://www.benveeblues.com from his home in Connecticut. He also has a 24 hour stream devoted to the Roadhouse Blues… WRHB

Best of the Blues 2019 – Five Most Creative Songs of the Year

The year 2019 was an exciting and invigorating one for blues lovers with the largest number of new albums released that I can recall since at least 2012. Amongst all the songs that I heard and spun for the year (and that was thousands!), these five struck me as the most creative in terms of the sound or lyrics or voice or a combination of all three!! (Links to the songs on Spotify or Youtube are shown in blue.)

HeavyDrunk – If I Loved You Hard Enough (Holywater 2019 on 4142 Music)

With lyrics that are Shakespearean in terms of the pathos and images created for your mind to wrestle with, If I Loved You Hard Enough is about a dysfunctional love that has spanned the lovers lives since they were kids. The opening lyrics portray a shocking scene at a Piggly Wiggly parking lot and it just gets better from there!

The song was written by Rob Robinson, the leader and front man for the Leipers’ Fork Tennessee soul blues band and is just one of many great tunes on the album Holywater. Rob also owns and operates a roadhouse style eatery south of town called Puckett’s…..mhmm…fine food and great roadhouse blues..I gotz to get there soon!

Amnesia Blues Band – Fast Johnny Cool (Hailstone 2019 on CDBaby)

Amnesia Blues Band hails from Gippsland, Australia. Paul “Buck” Buchanan is the lead vocalist and primary songwriter and they have penned an incredible song, Fast Johnny Cool, on their latest album Hailstone. An infectious bass driven beat and a great voice frame a song about a battle of guitar players at a low down roadhouse.

I got to chat with them a couple of months ago and they warned me not to visit them “down under” with a great voice or guitar. Listen to the song…you will know what they mean!

Jason Ricci & the Bad Kind – Break in the Rain (My Chops Are Rolling 2019 on EllerSoul Records)

A transplant from Maine to my hometown of New Orleans, Jason Ricci is one of the great harmonica players of the blues genre. Break in the Rain has an insistent beat with fabulous guitar licks, some awesome harmonica riffs, and lyrics about a day jumpin’ in puddles and layin’ in the tall grass… naked! Hell yeah!

The song was written by band member and guitarist John Lisi. The Bad Kind band also includes Jason’s wife, Kaitlin Dibble, on backing vocals on the song. I hope to see them perform tunes from My Chops Are Rolling the next time I am back down in the Big Easy!

Ghost Town Blues Band – Dirty (Shine 2019)

One of traits of some blues lovers is a kind of conservatism about what is and is not the blues. There are any number of blues purists out there that I respect but don’t agree with. As B.B. King stated once in an interview that I saw, it was only natural for the blues to evolve as more and more people were exposed to it and began to play and interpret it from their own individual perspectives. First it was the delta acoustic blues. Then it was electrified when it moved into urban areas like Chicago. Eventually it was rocked up by the British blues bands of the last sixties. And now we have the wide variety of contemporary blues that I love and spin regularly. I use the term “roadhouse blues” to describe this fascinating mix of modern blues with rock, soul, rhythm and blues, gospel, swing, roots music, and, yes…even a bit of rap influence!

On their latest album, Shine, Ghost Town Blues Band out of Memphis includes an original and creative song entitled Dirty. It’s a southern blues rockin’ tune about dealin’ with the life that fate sometimes deals and includes the tasteful use of rap. It is just such a natural fit for the song and blues in general. Kudos to the band for having the creativity (and bravery to face the blues purists) with such a fine recording! And people certainly love the album. It rose to number one on the Billboard Blues Charts soon after it’s release this past October.

Left Lane Cruiser – Smooth Commander (2019 Shake & Bake on Alive Records)

Left Lane Cruiser hails from Indiana and is a duo consisting of singer/guitarist Joe Evans IV and Pete Dio on drums/percussions. One of the songs on the new album SHAKE & BAKE is entitled Smooth Commander and it is about a sojourn across the world and his father’s love for the blues. The use of a resonator guitar is awesome and Joe’s voice is distinctive. And as he sings in the song, the blues will bring everybody around…..that it will surely do!!!

And kudos to the renown illustrator William Stout for providing such a creative album cover!

Ben Vee is an internet DJ and writer from New Orleans that now lives in Connecticut with his wife Annette. He started spinning records back in the 1970’s and has been writing about the roadhouse blues since 2011. He does two roadhouse blues shows each week on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com and he writes about the blues when the urge strikes on http://www.benveeblues.com.

BMFR Roadhouse Blues Nooner for Tuesday August 27th

Join us at High Noon EST on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com for some badass Roadhouse blues. Got some contemporary tunes from Australia, Europe, and all over the United States.

Below is the intended playlist.

ARTISTTITLE
Johnny A.Sing Singin’
Robin TrowerGhosts
CloutierGreen Eyed Foolish Man
The Blues & Boogie Kings With Mitch KashmarMy Jug And I
Barefoot DoctorsBelly Of The Blues
Bonnie BishopEvery Happiness Under the Sun
Martin HarleyRoll With The Punches
Genevieve ChadwickOne Time Thing
Junior DangerChasing the Red Sun
Rival SonsShooting Stars
Damon FowlerPour Me
Trigger HippyDon’t Wanna Bring You Down
Colin Linden and Luther DickinsonDon’t Let Go (Feat. Rachael Davis, Ruby Amanfu)
Billy PriceRemnants
Annika ChambersTwo Bit Texas Town
Chris Wragg & Greg CopelandWhy You So Cold With Me
Bobby RushGood Stuff
RJ MischoDollar General
Carie and The SoulshakersDelta Train
Charlie KarpTrain To Nashville
Charlie Wooten Project feat. Sonny LandrethTell Me A Story
Gabriel CoxThis Love
Big Wolf BandKeep Fighting Back
RaymundaIt Doesn’t Have to Be the Blues All the Time
Jason RicciBreak In The Rain

A Thursday Roadhouse Blues Afternoon on BMFR

Well we have reached the middle of a hot summer……anyone looking forward to fall already?? I invite you to kick back with a cold one and enjoy some Roadhouse Blues today at 3 pm EST on BMFR. You can tune in at http://www.bluesmusicfan.com. There is also a chat app on the homepage so you can join me to request or comment on the songs!

Here is the intended playlist:

ARTISTTITLE
J.P. SoarsAcross The Desert
Brandon IsaakRight Around The Corner
Anders OsborneEscape
Brother Yusef, The Fattback BluesmanHey There Blues
Blue AttitudeTraveller
Andrea CubedduSomething I Can’t Have
Bob Corritore and FriendsTrying To Make A Living (feat. Sugaray Rayford & Junior Watson)
Boo Boo DavisBring My Baby Back Home
Jason RicciIf You Should Lose Me (Featuring Kaitlin Dibble)
Bloodest SaxophoneWalking the Dog (feat. Jai Malano)
Vaneese ThomasLies
Sugaray RayfordTime To Get Movin’
Tab BenoitMy Baby Don’t Have Try
Blue Moon MarqueeAs I Lay Dying
Blues Infusion, TheStomping Farewell
Ben LevinPappy
Bill Toms and Hard RainI Won’t Go To Memphis No More (Live)
Bjorn BergeThe Calling
Snowy White & The White FlamesHard Blues
The Blue FlamesRoadhouse Blues
The Burndown Brothers Blues BandCan’t Go Back
Travellin’ Blue KingsStraight Eight
The HeavyBurn Bright
Slim Paul feat. Bastien AndrieuLet Me In
Shuffle ExpressLucy Butterfly
Boogie BeastsMad
Katarina PejakChasing Summer
The Kokomo KingsIt Ain’t My House
Pat Boyack & The ProwlersI Know It’s Over
Freddie KingYou Don’t Have To Go

A Two for Tuesday Roadhouse Blues Nooner on BMFR

Time for the Tuesday Roadhouse Blues Nooner with Ben Vee on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com! It starts today (July 30th) at High Noon EST and will feature tunes that are related to each other by some measure.

Below is the intended playlist. See if you can pick out why I related the tunes!

ARTISTTITLE
Dominic SchoemakerDom’s Train
Blues ArcadiaI’m Your Man
Amnesia Blues BandGotta Move On
Bonita and The Blues ShacksMomma’s Goin’ Dancin’
The Kokomo KingsFooled By The City Lights
Travellin’ Blue KingsI Cannot Believe
Julian SasA Light In The Dark
Brandon IsaakI Wanna Be Your Man
Blue Moon MarqueeHard Times Hit Parade
The Reverend Shawn AmosHave Love Will Travel
Mindi Abair And The BoneshakersVinyl
Boo Boo DavisWhat The Blues Is All About
Southern AvenueWhiskey Love
Tomiko DixonI’m Ready
Zakiya HookerDirty Things
ThirtyTwo20Wildest Dreams
Dominic SchoemakerFly Away
Lachy Doley GroupA Woman
Rob TognoniAnother Tequila
Black WaterWalking Blues
Dan PatlanskyJump On
Jason RicciThink It Over
Brandon SantiniDrive You Off My Mind
HeavyDrunk and the HurricaneMidnight in Harlem
The Rolling StonesThe Harlem Shuffle
Beth HartFat Man
Beth Hart, Joe BonamassaSinner’s Prayer (Live)

Ben Vee’s Late July Roadhouse Blues Bin

The summer is blowin’ by and here are some of the albums that I am listening to (song links to Spotify or Youtube are in blue):

The Kokomo Kings – Fighting Fire with Gasoline (2019)

The Kokomo Kings new album Fighting Fire with Gasoline heralds the return of the era when rock & roll and the blues were essentially the same genre. Upbeat and fun, I really enjoyed EVERY tune on this recording done by a mix of band members from Sweden and Denmark. I don’t know if it is somethin’ in the water, but there are a number of great new bands coming out of Copenhagen and Stockholm and the Kokomo Kings are one of the best. The band features Martin Abrahamsson (vocals and guitar), Magnus Lanshammar (bass and guitar), Ronni Boysen (guitar), and Daniel Winerö (drums).

The album is packed with great rockin’ boogie blues tunes that will get your hips and feet movin’ including A Big Pile of Fish, Fighting Fire With Gasoline, Fooled by the City Lights, I Thought I was a Patient Man, If I was an Alien, Tornadohead, and The Fish Won’t Bite. Really loved Heatwave which has a Fabulous Thunderbirds feel to it. And my personal favorite is Tied to the Tracks that has some nice guitar riffs and a Mississippi Hill Country sound.

The influence of Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry pervades the album and I know both are in blues heaven smilin’ down on this fantastic recording. Now…if only I can persuade them to send me a t-shirt with the album cover on it…my summer will be complete!!!

Jason Ricci & the Bad Kind – My Chops Are Rolling (Ellersoul Records 2019)

Since releasing his first recording in 1995, Jason Ricci has earned a reputation as one of the best harmonica players in the music business with two awards (2010 & 2018) from the prestigious Blues Music Foundation for his talent on the instrument. On his second release for Ellersoul Records, My Chops Are Rolling, Jason Ricci & the Bad Kind again lay down some badass roadhouse blues.

I was captivated by the tune The Way That I Hurt Myself that has echoes of Led Zeppelin in the performance. The song highlights Jason’s voice as well as some badass harpin’ and also shines the musical spotlight on the incredible guitar playing of John Lisi.

Additionally, Jason does a stellar instrumental cover of Led Zepp’s Going to California on the album. I also enjoyed Break In the Rain and a song he recorded with his wife, Kaitlin Dibble, entitled If You Should Lose Me. It is a great cover of a song originally performed by Barbara Lynn back in the late 1960’s.

Jason & I share a love for the New Orleans Saints and he put his admiration into words and music on Who Dat Nation! All you Saints fan should give it a listen! And Atlanta Falcon fans might want to avoid the explicit version he also includes 😛

Blue Moon Marquee – Bare Knuckles & Brawn (Factor Canada 2019)

Harkening back to the era of the blues cabaret, Blue Moon Marquee modernizes the sound on their new CD, Bare Knuckles & Brawn. A.W. Cardinal makes it work with gritty vocals and guitar playing and Jasmine Collette lays down some badass upright bass riffs as well as vocals. They are the core of a band that features guest appearances by Darcy Phillips (keyboards), Jerry Cook (Tenor & Bari Sax, Clarinet), Jimmy “Hollywood” Badger (Drums), Jack Garton (trumpet), and Paul Pigat (guitar).

Overall, this is well produced album with a laid back ambiance and a jazzy feel that still maintains an adherence to the blues. I really enjoyed 52nd Street Strut, As I Lay Dying, and the sultry feel of Big Black Mamba. Big Smoke is a great blues tune and Fever Flickering Flame conjures up scenes of a packed dance floor at a 1920 speakeasy. The haunting use of the trumpet and sparse piano licks perfectly frame Jasmine’s voice on Hard Times Hit Parade. And I loved the western swing guitar playing of Paul on The Red Devil Himself.

This is the perfect album to share with friends, a fine cigar, and a dirty martini. Let me know when ya do!!!

Travellin’ Blue Kings – Wired Up (Donor Productions 2019)

A European band that helps defines what I term as the roadhouse blues, the Travellin’ Blue Kings kick out some solid tunes on their new album Wired Up. This four piece band consists of Stephan Hermsen (vocals, harp, guitar), Jimmy Hontelé (guitar), Winne Penninckx (bass), and Marc Gijbels (drums).


This is another album where I loved EVERY cut. Particular favorites are Get It Done, Ninety Minutes, Into the Night, Straight Eight, and The Way It Used to Be. The instrumental title cut Wired Up is also a badass tune featuring some awesome guitar playing.

They are also the first band that I have seen that identify themselves as being from Benelux, an economic union of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The Travellin’ Blue Kings are doing their part to promote Benelux with one of the best roadhouse blues albums of 2019!

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