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: 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...

Concert Review: Dianne Reeves Meets the Bill Charlap Trio

Gerry Geddes
The famed jazz singer, Dianne Reeves returned to performing at the 92nd Street Y with the Bill Charlap Trio as a part of Charlap’s Jazz in July series.  It was her second post-pandemic concert after a year and a half of lockdown and quarantine.  There was sense of anticipation in the packed audience as they awaited...

Club Review: Sally Wilfert “How Did I End Up Here?”

Gerry Geddes
By the end of How Did I End Up Here, Sally Wilfert’s new show at Feinstein’s/54 Below, the audience wasn’t really interested in the answer to the title’s question, they were just so delighted to be there sharing in the good will and spectacular singing.  The show was classic, old-school cabaret—just voice, piano and well-chosen...