“New Orleans is ALWAYS an inspiration: the culture, Black culture, the history, the people, the music, the food, the architecture, the animals, and the average of 167 live shows A DAY here. The way musicians feel time here is different—more relaxed and advanced than anywhere else I've ever been.”

Jason Ricci: 13 Hours…

"I think it's very important to have a healthy mix of technique and feeling. I feel like rock guitar leans more towards technical proficiency and blues tends to focus more on feeling and less technique. The problem with either approach is that too much technical proficiency can often start to sound a little too mathematical or academic and relying completely on feeling and ignoring technique can often sound boring and can be too stale or…

"I guess a life well lived is one that helps others and has some amount of service to others and/or to God or to whatever it is that makes you want to be a better cat."

Jason Ricci: The Music Veil of NOLA

New Orleans-based harmonica master Jason Ricci and his band, The Bad Kind will be released…

"The blues is about honesty, integrity, sincerity, loss and redemption from our human errors. Being "cool" is not what the blues is about to me. Being real is."

Jason Ricci: A Cool Blues Human Being…

Music is so beautiful because it transcends race, sex, politics, or personal views. Everyone can come together, if only for a song, and enjoy being carried away by music.

Jason Elmore: Southern Velvet…

"Blues has always been here. It’s in our genes as humans. The beat. The power of the human voice."

Jason Vivone: E.T.C. Blues Philosophy

Jason Vivone and the Billy Bats won the title "king of the roots" in a competition sponsored by the…

"People love good music when it is played well and with passion. Blues is a style of music which I believe has to be sung with meaning, and it has to be played well... and with feeling and a delicate touch."

Jason North: The British Blues Boy…

"Blues and jazz will always be around because both styles are too human to overlook for long. As long as people laugh and cry, there will be the blues."

J. Hansen: A Nightcat Keeps the Beat

Drummer,…

"It's (Jazz) thrilling to see people make things up on the fly. Improvisation is such a natural part of being alive and being human and it's an amazing thing to see people improvising on their instruments."

Jason Stein: Jazz This Time…

"I believe playing guitar for me is like meditation, I can really let go at times…and it feels great!"

Shawn Starski: Travelin with the Blues…