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Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

Jason Ricci interview: part 2

September 19, 2023 Neil Warren Season 1 Episode 94

Chapters

Jason doesn’t feel he has to prove himself anymore, although still has the drive to work on his music

Supporting his band members is one of his primary motivations

Recent album with Joe Krown, City Country City, is from a more settled Jason

Maturity comes from spiritual growth

City Country City is New Orleans themed music (and is where Jason now lives)

Hoping to make another album with Joe Krown, after a disagreement with him

Formed Bad Kind in 2011, while living in Indiana

Playing long solos on albums is trying to capture the essence of when that happens successfully in live gigs

Down That Road is a New Blood album recorded live from different gigs by a fan of the band

Live At Checkers Tavern is another live album

Doesn’t overdub on albums as he only ever plays completely improvised solos

How Jason tries to break out of musical habits is to practise lots of scales and arpeggios

Some of the songs Jason considers as his best work

The magic happens in Jason’s favourite recordings comes from a sense of freedom, of being able to fly

The importance of technique in playing with soul, and there’s beauty in playing lots of notes

Technique is the only thing that’s not subjective

The importance of delivering different aspects to our performance, and not focusing on just one

How much Jason’s obsessive personality has shaped his music, but life gets in the way of further development

How good a living does Jason make out of the harmonica

Found a tumour behind Jason’s eye in 2019

Finances are a struggle, probably more now than when he was first starting out

If had chosen the saxophone instead, would have been more difficult to rise to the top

Doesn’t think his playing is that technical, compared to other players he admires: Howard Levy, Filip Jers, Konstantin Reinfeld, Gregory Hommert

Filip Jers has just won SPAH player of the year

Two albums with JJ Appleton, which are more acoustic based

Played at Paul Butterfield induction into the rock ’n roll Hall of Fame

Mark Ford was also an influence on Jason

Jason’s sound is now sounding less overdriven, partly because he stopped using the Kinder anti-feedback pedal

Now plays in several different acts, not just one main band, as he did with New Blood, although Bad Kind still his main band

Has recently recorded for a Disney movie and the Netflix movie: A Jazzman’s Blues

New Orleans tends to hire musicians who are based in the city, so Jason is getting more session work, but can’t read music

Chromatic: going to play one song on next album

Disagrees with Howard Levy that the diatonic can be played as a fully chromatic instrument

Using different tunings doesn’t provide full chromaticism, that is needed on certain songs

Not that many people can play the chromatic that well. Jason mainly likes the 3rd position chromatic sound

Loves the micro bending ability of the diatonic

New album coming out end of September 2023: Behind The Veil

Jason has been using Patreon for his tutorial content for 16 years, with a new video every month. Now with over 600 videos

Does a lot of teaching, including scholarships (free tuition for some select students)

Recently appeared at the SPAH 60th anniversary event

Has won various awards, including best harmonica several times

10 minute question

Recently released signature harmonicas made by Blue Moon harmonicas and Jason has been closely involved in the specifications

Harmonica of choice: was Hohner, then Suzuki, now back to Hohner

There will be a choice to purchase the signature harmonicas either set-up for overblows, or not

The tuning of the signature harmonicas

Jason has a great relationship with Tom Halchak from Blue Moon harmonicas

Embouchre: uses pucker or tongue block according to what best suits the music being played

Has three Harp Gear HG50 amps, trying to sell on to buy a Fender Twin reverb to use with the HG50

Plays acoustic mics: currently plays the Lone Wolf Jason Ricci signature harmonica, and previously helped design the BlowsMeAway Ultimate 58

Doesn’t believe in modifying amps for harmonica

Plays the ‘acoustic’ type mics through tube amps, and not a PA, as thinks bullet mics have just one sound

Makes extensive use of effects pedals

Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

Jason Ricci interview: part 2

Sep 19, 2023 Season 1 Episode 94

Neil Warren

The interview with Jason Ricci continues on episode 94, part 2.
Jason shares how he has matured into his music, including on his 2021 album, City Country City, playing jazz, funk and blues with New Orleans musician Joe Krown.
Jason goes on to share what he considers to be his best work on harmonica, and the elements that make up a great performance.
He’s recorded two albums with JJ Appleton, and Bad Kind is Jason’s current band, having released two albums so far, and a new album coming out with Bad Kind at the end of the month: Behind The Veil.
Jason has a big social media presence, with Patreon the place to go for his teaching material, with over 600 harmonica related videos available.
And Jason has just released a signature harmonica in partnership with Blue Moon harmonicas.

Links:
Jason’s social media links::
https://mooncat.org/
https://www.instagram.com/jasonricci93/
https://twitter.com/jasonricci93
Patreon page:
https://www.patreon.com/jasonricci
Tip Jason:
PayPal.me/jasonricci
Bandcamp:
https://jasonricci.bandcamp.com/
Harp Gear amplification:
http://harpgear.com/

Videos:

Paul Butterfield induction into the rock ’n roll Hall of Fame:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zix79vpAjG0

2023 SPAH concert:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKPuDDJz66M

Pedal Board (2019):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8CeSabvTy0

Hip-Hug Her with Bad Kind:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMlB_rL8REU

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

or sign-up to a monthly subscription to the podcast:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/995536/support

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or In

Support the Show.

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The interview with Jason Ricci continues on episode 94, part 2.
Jason shares how he has matured into his music, including on his 2021 album, City Country City, playing jazz, funk and blues with New Orleans musician Joe Krown.
Jason goes on to share what he considers to be his best work on harmonica, and the elements that make up a great performance.
He’s recorded two albums with JJ Appleton, and Bad Kind is Jason’s current band, having released two albums so far, and a new album coming out with Bad Kind at the end of the month: Behind The Veil.
Jason has a big social media presence, with Patreon the place to go for his teaching material, with over 600 harmonica related videos available.
And Jason has just released a signature harmonica in partnership with Blue Moon harmonicas.

Links:
Jason’s social media links::
https://mooncat.org/
https://www.instagram.com/jasonricci93/
https://twitter.com/jasonricci93
Patreon page:
https://www.patreon.com/jasonricci
Tip Jason:
PayPal.me/jasonricci
Bandcamp:
https://jasonricci.bandcamp.com/
Harp Gear amplification:
http://harpgear.com/

Videos:

Paul Butterfield induction into the rock ’n roll Hall of Fame:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zix79vpAjG0

2023 SPAH concert:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKPuDDJz66M

Pedal Board (2019):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8CeSabvTy0

Hip-Hug Her with Bad Kind:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMlB_rL8REU

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

or sign-up to a monthly subscription to the podcast:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/995536/support

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or In

Support the Show.

Jason doesn’t feel he has to prove himself anymore, although still has the drive to work on his music

Supporting his band members is one of his primary motivations

Recent album with Joe Krown, City Country City, is from a more settled Jason

Maturity comes from spiritual growth

City Country City is New Orleans themed music (and is where Jason now lives)

Hoping to make another album with Joe Krown, after a disagreement with him

Formed Bad Kind in 2011, while living in Indiana

Playing long solos on albums is trying to capture the essence of when that happens successfully in live gigs

Down That Road is a New Blood album recorded live from different gigs by a fan of the band

Live At Checkers Tavern is another live album

Doesn’t overdub on albums as he only ever plays completely improvised solos

How Jason tries to break out of musical habits is to practise lots of scales and arpeggios

Some of the songs Jason considers as his best work

The magic happens in Jason’s favourite recordings comes from a sense of freedom, of being able to fly

The importance of technique in playing with soul, and there’s beauty in playing lots of notes

Technique is the only thing that’s not subjective

The importance of delivering different aspects to our performance, and not focusing on just one

How much Jason’s obsessive personality has shaped his music, but life gets in the way of further development

How good a living does Jason make out of the harmonica

Found a tumour behind Jason’s eye in 2019

Finances are a struggle, probably more now than when he was first starting out

If had chosen the saxophone instead, would have been more difficult to rise to the top

Doesn’t think his playing is that technical, compared to other players he admires: Howard Levy, Filip Jers, Konstantin Reinfeld, Gregory Hommert

Filip Jers has just won SPAH player of the year

Two albums with JJ Appleton, which are more acoustic based

Played at Paul Butterfield induction into the rock ’n roll Hall of Fame

Mark Ford was also an influence on Jason

Jason’s sound is now sounding less overdriven, partly because he stopped using the Kinder anti-feedback pedal

Now plays in several different acts, not just one main band, as he did with New Blood, although Bad Kind still his main band

Has recently recorded for a Disney movie and the Netflix movie: A Jazzman’s Blues

New Orleans tends to hire musicians who are based in the city, so Jason is getting more session work, but can’t read music

Chromatic: going to play one song on next album

Disagrees with Howard Levy that the diatonic can be played as a fully chromatic instrument

Using different tunings doesn’t provide full chromaticism, that is needed on certain songs

Not that many people can play the chromatic that well. Jason mainly likes the 3rd position chromatic sound

Loves the micro bending ability of the diatonic

New album coming out end of September 2023: Behind The Veil

Jason has been using Patreon for his tutorial content for 16 years, with a new video every month. Now with over 600 videos

Does a lot of teaching, including scholarships (free tuition for some select students)

Recently appeared at the SPAH 60th anniversary event

Has won various awards, including best harmonica several times

10 minute question

Recently released signature harmonicas made by Blue Moon harmonicas and Jason has been closely involved in the specifications

Harmonica of choice: was Hohner, then Suzuki, now back to Hohner

There will be a choice to purchase the signature harmonicas either set-up for overblows, or not

The tuning of the signature harmonicas

Jason has a great relationship with Tom Halchak from Blue Moon harmonicas

Embouchre: uses pucker or tongue block according to what best suits the music being played

Has three Harp Gear HG50 amps, trying to sell on to buy a Fender Twin reverb to use with the HG50

Plays acoustic mics: currently plays the Lone Wolf Jason Ricci signature harmonica, and previously helped design the BlowsMeAway Ultimate 58

Doesn’t believe in modifying amps for harmonica

Plays the ‘acoustic’ type mics through tube amps, and not a PA, as thinks bullet mics have just one sound

Makes extensive use of effects pedals