June 2024 – Anthony Geraci
Anthony Geraci is an experienced pianist and organist born in New Haven, Connecticut and residing in Boston. From a young age, he attended live performances by great bluesmen such as B.B. King, Muddy Waters, and Jimmy Rogers, who influenced him and contributed to his musical education. Later, he would come full circle when he had the opportunity to perform with them as well as with several other heavyweights. In the meantime, Geraci graduated from Berklee College of Music with a B.A. (Bachelor of Arts), and then from Skidmore College with an M.A. (Master Degree). His significant encounters with bluesmen and subsequent academic training have contributed to shaping the eclectic and accomplished artist he has become over time. Over his career spanning more than five decades, he has produced several albums under his name and contributed to dozens of recordings with renowned performers. An anecdote highlights that he even played organ and piano on five tracks of the first CD by Quebecois Steve Hill in 1997. Tears In My Eyes is the second album by this experienced and renowned pianist and keyboardist on Blue Heart Records. It includes eleven original tracks by Geraci. This opus is an eclectic mix of electric blues in the purest tradition, and it also includes five instrumental pieces with varied styles and instrumentation. These include the participation of Drew Davies on saxophone on five tracks and Anne Harris on violin on the evocative and melodic Memphis Mist. Singer and harmonica player Sugar Ray Norcia, his road companion from the colorful period of the Bluetones, contributes vocals on three tracks. If a mix of electric blues in the purest tradition, juxtaposed with elements of jazz, soul, and instrumental pieces of varied styles interests you, this personal record by Anthony Geraci and his band The Boston Blues All-Stars is for you!
(Pierre Jobin – Karch and Geraci reviews originally published in Tendances Electronique & Design, where you can access back issues with more blues reviews. www.tedpublications.com)