Jason Ricci is an American harmonica player and singer. After placing first in the Sonny Boy Blues Society contest at 21 years of age, and recording his first album, he has quickly found his way among some of the best harmonica players in the blues arena. He has played with blues greats Junior Kimbrough, R. L. Burnside and Nick Curran. In 1999, he won the Mars National Harmonica Contest, and began playing with Keith Brown. In 2000, Jason received a two page write up in Blues Access magazine by Adam Gussow (harmonica player for Satan and Adam) saying: "I am convinced he along with New Jersey's Dennis Gruenling is one of the best harmonica players of his generation." After 15 months with Big Al and the Heavyweights, he started his own band Jason Ricci & New Blood in 2002. In 2005, Jason was honored with the Muddy Waters Most Promising New Blues Artist award. He can be found playing in cities all over the United States, almost 300 days per year. New Blood's repertoire includes standard-length songs, epic improvisational jams, sharp original lyrics, as well as melodic instrumental pieces. The setlist changes every night and may feature any of the dozens of songs in the band's catalog, including some classic blues, jazz, and funk covers like "Cissy Strut" (The Meters), "Get Up, Stand Up" (Bob Marley), "Shake Your Hips" (Slim Harpo), and "Turkish Coffee" (Herbie Mann). Jason Ricci & New Blood's live shows were described by Blake Taylor, writer for Cincinnati City Beat, thusly: "As a lover of live music, a JRNB show is absolutely exhilarating. Imagine the best virtuoso-filled "jam band" you've ever seen (think early '90's Phish, old Flecktones, Allmans, Robert Randolph, Derek Trucks, etc.) and then double the energy and stage presence." Only recently Jason Ricci and New Blood were signed to Electro Groove, a new Sub Division of Delta Groove Records. His first album with the label, appropriately titled "Rocket Number Nine," was released on October 23, 2007. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.