Jason Ricci, a musician and harmonica player, discusses his collaborations and his matured approach to music. He shares his best work on harmonica, talks about his current band and upcoming album, and highlights his teaching material on Patreon. They also touch on the development of a signature harmonica with Blue Moon Harmonicas and explore microphone choices, amp preferences, and effects pedals.
Jason Ricci explores jazz, funk, and blues in his 2021 album 'City Country City' with New Orleans musician Joe Krown.
Jason emphasizes the importance of both technique and soul in playing harmonica, striving for a balanced approach.
Deep dives
Jason Richard's musical journey and growth
Jason Richard shares his musical growth and maturity, particularly in his 2021 album "City Country City" where he explores jazz funk and blues alongside New Orleans musician Joe Crown. He discusses his best work on harmonica and the elements of a great performance. He also highlights his current band, Bad Kind, and their upcoming album. Additionally, he talks about his extensive social media presence and collaboration with Blue Moon harmonica's for his signature harmonica.
The experimentation with different musical styles
In his music career, Jason Richard has diversified his playing styles by collaborating with artists like JJ Appleton, Joe Krautz, JP Soars, and more. He explores jazz, funk, blues, and even Marty Groy's Indian band. He emphasizes the importance of playing music that suits the band and the musicians' strengths.
The balance between technique and soul in playing harmonica
Jason Richard discusses the significance of both technique and soul in playing harmonica. He believes that technique is measurable and essential for producing a quality sound, but soul is subjective and influenced by personal experiences. He mentions his preference for a balanced approach, where technique and soul coexist to create a captivating musical experience.
Gear and playing style preferences
Jason Richards mentions his shift from playing Suzuki harmonicas to endorsing Hohner and designing a signature harmonica with Blue Moon harmonicas. He also discusses his gear preferences, including amplifiers like Harp Gear amps and Fender Twin Reverb, as well as his use of acoustic microphones like the Jason Ritchie signature mic and the Blore's Meaway Ultimate 50. He also touches upon his extensive use of pedals and effects, experimenting with different sounds and approaches in his music.
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.
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