Gerry Geddes

Gerry Geddes, critic for BistroAwards.com, is an award-winning director, writer, teacher, performer, lyricist, and a contributor to the podcast Troubadours and Raconteurs. He conceived and directed the acclaimed musical revues Monday in the Dark with George (Bistro and MAC Award winner), Put on Your Saturday Suit—Words & Music by Jimmy Webb, and Gerry Geddes & Company (in its five-year residency at Pangea). He has directed singers André De Shields, Darius de Haas, Helen Baldassare, and Lisa Viggiano. He has been active in the cabaret world for over five decades and has produced numerous CDs; his lyrics have been performed and recorded here and in Europe. Gerry’s workshop, The Art of Vocal Performance, is regularly offered to singers of all levels. His memoir of life in NYC, Didn’t I Ever Tell You This?, was recently published and is available at barnesandnoble.com. He is currently at work on his first novel.

Club Review: Beth Leavel’s “It’s Not About Me”

Gerry Geddes
By the time singer/actress Beth Leavel had finished her first number, “It’s Not About Me” (Matthew Sklar, Chuck Beguelin from The Prom), she had the audience tied up in a bow and in the palm of her hand; she did not let it go until she exited the stage at the end of her remarkably entertaining return...

Streamed Concert: Vladimir Kornéev & WDR Funkhaus Orchestra—”Chansons d’Amour”

Gerry Geddes
During COVID, I viewed any number of virtual concerts and cabaret shows but I can count the ones that succeeded on the fingers of one hand.  Based on Chansons d’Amour by German-based actor/singer/pianist Vladimir Kornéev & WDR Funkhaus Orchestra, and on another audience-less concert I will be soon be reviewing, it appears that across the Atlantic they have...

Club Review: Carolyn German—Unsolicited Advice About Life, Love, & Practical Shoes

Gerry Geddes
I approached Don’t Tell Mama to see Unsolicited Advice About Life, Love, & Practical Shoes with a sense of anticipation because singer/songwriter Carolyn German had been previously recommended to me by friends who had seen her at open mics around town and suggested I should check her out. I can understand their enthusiasm since they...

Club Review: The Boy Band Project

Gerry Geddes
The Boy Band Project: L. to r.: Kevin John Murray, Travis Nesbitt, Christopher Brasfield, Jesse JP Johnson. (Photo: Tamra Sheehan) Just the name, The Boy Band Project, conjures so many possibilities ranging from tongue-in-cheek parody to soaring harmonies, from impossibly romantic ballads to irresistible dance rhythms.  In their debut at Feinstein’s/54 Below,...

CD Review: Lauren White and the Quinn Johnson Trio’s “Ever Since the World Ended”

Gerry Geddes
It is a singular pleasure to come across a new jazz release that honors the style and class of an old school album while offering a fresh and exhilarating selection of songs and a personal point of view.  That is exactly what Ever Since the World Ended from Lauren White and The Quinn Johnson Trio offers a...

Critical Thoughts: Performers Take Heed! Cabaret Is Back, and So Are Its Faux Pas

Gerry Geddes
After a year and a half of pandemic-induced exile, cabaret performance is at last returning to New York. It has been rewarding to attend a club, imbibe a two-drink minimum and, perhaps, a meal, while being entertained by established performers flexing their long dormant muscles and by newcomers making their long- delayed debuts.  I have...

CD Review: Wilma Baan’s “So Nice”

Gerry Geddes
Wilma Baan’s new CD, So Nice, arrives just in time to combat the dog days of summer.  This tasteful grouping of standards from the vocal jazz repertoire is a low-key, savvy, delightful refreshment, almost able to conjure breezes where there are none.  The singer is assured and comfortable in her surroundings—nothing to prove, nothing to...

Club Review: Amber Iman

Gerry Geddes
Amber Iman (Photo: Joanna Degeneres) Her strong, range-y voice and statuesque looks make it no surprise that actress/singer Amber Iman is an award-nominated performer with a burgeoning career in theatre, including Broadway’s Soul Doctor (as Nina Simone), the National Tour of Hamilton, and various off-Broadway and regional productions.  She has also...

Club Review: Tina Scariano’s “Feels Like Home”

Gerry Geddes
Tina Scariano Tina Scariano has a terrific voice with a pleasingly effective vibrato.  It would not be out of the realm of possibility to imagine her one day being feted like the artists she featured in Feels Like Home, her new show at The Green Room 42.  Therefore, it was most disappointing...

Club Review: Daryl Sherman Trio

Gerry Geddes
Start with the tastiest collection of songs to be heard in NYC, add three brilliant musicians at the top of their game, mix in the warm, inviting vocals of an icon of the city’s music scene, add one of New York’s most cozily elegant rooms, and top it all off with a 1,000-watt smile, and...