Review: Jason Ricci and the Bad Kind ‘Behind the Veil’

Photo: Jean Frank Photography

Review: Jason Ricci and the Bad Kind: Behind the Veil

By Stephen Guppy

There’s something mythic and magical about the blues harmonica. Like the legends of the Delta, you can pull that tin sandwich out of your hip pocket and conjure up a mournful tune when you’re down at the crossroads and down on your luck. Conversely, you can whip out your magic harp and lay down a foot-stompin’ rhythm so irresistible it’d start a party in an empty house. On his latest album, the third with his new band, the Bad Kind, harmonica wunderkind Jason Ricci gives us a heaping helping of both on Behind the Veil, referencing the mythic heroes of the genre while creating harmonica magic that’s original to him.

Ricci has been around the block with several bands, including his previous spell as front man with New Blood, and he has sideman credits with such luminaries as Johnny Winter, Walter Trout, and Ana Popovic, so he’s accustomed to working with top-shelf musicians. This latest edition of the Bad Kind continues that trend. Brent Johnson replaces John Lisi on guitar for Behind the Veil while Jack Joshua plays bass and sings and John Perkins mans the drums. Boston singer Kaitlin Dibble wrote a couple of the songs and provides backing vocals throughout while taking the lead on some numbers. Joe Krown guests piano and Hammond B3 organ, Lauren Mitchell provides backup vocals, and there’s a special treat for blues guitar aficionados as Joanna Connor steps in for Dibble’s “No Way”.

Behind the Veil leads off with “Casco Bay”, a Jason Ricci original. Ricci provides an emotive vocal while taking the blues harp into Kurt Weill/Lotte Lenya territory. There’s a “Dark Cabaret” flavour to the Bad Kind’s work that’s reminiscent of Tom Waits or Marianne Faithful’s later recordings, as the burlesque atmosphere of this track highlights.

The lead single from the album, “5-10-15”, was recorded by Ruth Brown back in the early ‘50s and made it to number 1 on the R&B charts. (Brown’s version was called “5-10-15 Hours”, but who’s counting?) Kaitlin Dibble does a fine job of channeling the formidable Ms. Brown, and guitarist Johnson also shines on this track. Adding Joe Krown’s keyboard to the mix was an inspired move: the piano fills provide a counterpoint to the vocal and allow Ricci to lay back until his harp solo takes centre stage.

Jason Ricci co-wrote the instrumental “Baked Potato” with long-time song-writing partner Shawn Stachurski. It’s an opportunity for Ricci to show off his incredible chops and trade licks with Johnson, who’s no slouch himself. Ricci and Johnson penned “Why Don’t We Sleep On It”, a witty duet between Ricci and Dibble, who play the squabbling couple over a funked-up bassline from Jack Joshua.

“Cirque du Soleil”, written by bassist Joshua, takes us back to the “Dark Cabaret” atmosphere of the opening cut. It’s a talking blues that’s enlivened by the classic circus-music riff from Julius Fučík’s “Entrance of the Gladiators”.

The Bad Kind meld a Kaitlin Dibble original, “Wrong Kind Of Easy”, and Little Walter’s “Nobody But You” into a medley, with both Dibble and Ricci weighing in with memorable performances. “Nobody But You” was written by Walter Spriggs of the Five Echoes and first recorded in 1957 by Little Walter and His Jukes, and it’s one cut from Walter’s recorded legacy that deserves to be better known.

If you’re a blues artist from New Orleans, you’re pretty much obliged to take a run at NOLA anthem “St. James Infirmary”, and Ricci and his crew are up for the challenge. Ricci exploits the ragged edges in his voice for an original reading of the classic lament, and his blues-harp virtuosity is on full display. The song ends with the band shutting down and Ricci sailing off into Pachelbel’s Canon, arranged for solo harmonica. You don’t hear that every day.

For their cover of Dax Riggs’ “Terrors Of Nightlife”; Ricci and Dibble blend their very different voices into a chanted refrain, and Johnson cuts lose with a knife-edge solo. This is a straight-up killer track, a highlight of the album.

Kaitlin Dibble’s “No Way” is a hot-as-a-pistol rocker, adding another element to a varied set. Dibble sells the song with a passionate vocal, and slide-guitar powerhouse Joanna Connor is, well, Joanna Connor. The song keeps circling back to the “Spoonful” riff, and Connor and Ricci weave their spells around it.

“Shipwreck” was written by Jeff Turmes and recorded on his Every Day’s My Lucky Day album in 2002. Turmes is a sax player as well as a singer, so it’s interesting to hear how Ricci adapts the song to a harmonica-based interpretation. Jack Joshua’s growly vocal style works perfectly here, and Johnson contributes equally gritty guitar licks while Ricci’s harp fills and solos are consistently creative.

Behind the Veil winds up with a lively take on Booker T. & The M.G.’s 1967 instrumental work-out “Hip Hug-Her”. Krown’s Hammond organ adds to the retro-sixties feel, while Ricci handles the melody and Johnson cuts loose with another smoking solo. The Bad Kind deliver an inspired performance while retaining the spirit of the original—all that’s missing is some Go-Go dancers in striped bell-bottoms.

The pantheon of blues harp maestros embraces revered figures from Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter, and Sonny Terry to James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, and Paul Butterfield. With the release of his new album, Jason Ricci has cemented a place on that list. Behind the Veil isn’t just a showcase for the harpist’s virtuosity, however: Ricci has surrounded himself with musicians who contribute to the production with their own high-level skills and creative ideas. Eagles fly with eagles, and together the Bad Kind has put together a consistently exciting collection of original and covers.

Roll up, neighbors, and take a peek Behind the Veil.

Jason Ricci and The Bad Kind Live