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.

Marc Jordan: “Waiting for the Sun to Rise”

Gerry Geddes
I often long for the golden age of albums in which the recording was a cohesive artistic statement into which thought, passion, art, and craft were poured, resulting in work that was substantially more than the sum of its tracks. It was the time when singers and producers and creative musicians like The Beatles, Joni...

“André De Shields Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of ‘Haarlem Nocturne'”

Gerry Geddes
Haarlem Nocturne is not only a seminal show in the long and storied career of André De Shields, it is one of the seminal events in the history of New York cabaret. Teaming with his original music director, Broadway’s Marc Shaiman, De Shields mounted a 40th anniversary production of the show at 54 Below last...

Isabelle Georges in “Oh Là Là—A Passionate Journey Through the French Repertoire and Beyond”

Gerry Geddes
In spite of its rather academic subtitle, “Oh Là Là—A Passionate Journey Through the French Repertoire and Beyond was a delightful showcase for and introduction to the many sides of French musical star, Isabelle Georges. Seconds into her lively opening number, “La Grande Évasion” (music by Georges & P. Maniez, lyrics by Georges), she managed...

Tim Connell in “…it’s the joy in your heart…”

Gerry Geddes
Singer Tim Connell possesses such a warm, natural sound and such a thoughtful lyric delivery that it is easy to understand why he was awarded a 2023 Bistro Award for his last presentation on the intimate stage at Pangea. It is equally understandable that he wants to stretch his performing wings and embrace a broader, more...

Sally Mayes in “Now and Then: Jazz/Standard Time”

Gerry Geddes
At the top of her exciting new show, Now and Then: Jazz/ Standard Time, singer Sally Mayes barreled on to the stage like the proverbial blond bombshell, grabbed the room, and didn’t let go for the next hour, much to the delight of her cheering audience. Accompanied by Tedd Firth on piano and Tom Hubbard on...

Daisy Jopling’s “Who’s Who”

Gerry Geddes
The violin is no stranger to the cabaret stage. But most often it is a featured member of the band or a special guest appearance. In Daisy Jopling’s delightful show, Who’s Who, it is front and center and, in fact, more prominent than the vocals. As the title indicates, the focus of the show is...

Carolyn Montgomery in “girlSINGER—A Celebration of Rosemary Clooney”

Gerry Geddes
If someone wants to experience a textbook example of the way to do a tribute show in a cabaret, they need look no further than Carolyn Montgomery’s girlSINGER: A Celebration of Rosemary Clooney, which debuted recently at Birdland, New York’s venerable, historic jazz club.  With an immensely talented quintet of musicians, savvy direction by Sally...

Camille Diamond: “Over the Moon….on Pluto Transit”

Gerry Geddes
During the last six years of health crises and political and economic crises, people turned to a variety of sources for solutions to problems and answers to questions. Religion, medicine, government, and community, all had meager responses, so I suppose it is inevitable that some choose to ascribe the dire state of affairs to the...

Linda Kahn “Wait ‘Til You See What’s Next”

Gerry Geddes
Sometimes, the minute you hear a singer you know that they are (in sound, in temperament, and in style) born to be a recording artist. Such is the case with Linda Kahn and her stunning new album, Wait Till You See What’s Next. After having abandoned performing for many years, Kahn made a return to...

“Amy Beth Williams Sings Leiber & Stoller”

Gerry Geddes
As with most singers enduring and then coming out of the pandemic with its quarantines and lockdowns, Amy Beth Williams spent a lot of time exploring, discovering, and re-discovering songs and songwriters and putting together future shows. That exploration led her to Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller—not only to their iconic hits, but to their rare...