Gerry Casey interviews Anthony Geraci

September 1, 2024

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Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey’s Interview with Anthony Geraci

Pianist, Hammond organist and composer Anthony Geraci was born in New Haven, CT in 1954. His interest in playing piano began at age four when he told his parents “I want a piano!” Kind of an odd request when most kids want a new baseball glove or bicycle. His parents weren’t musical-not even a record player at their house- but they always supported his undeniable passion for music. They soon bought a Kimball Grand Piano that his mother paid $4 a week to own. Lessons at the Neighborhood School of Music, affiliated with Yale University, soon followed. At around the age of sixteen he befriended a fellow musician, Ed Cherry, at high school. They began listening to music together after school and one day Ed played a Jimmy Rogers recording, Chicago Bound, that literally changed his life. Ed went on to be Dizzy Gillespie’s guitarist for many years.

New Haven was rich as far as listening to and seeing major music artists, and NYC was only a few hours away by train. Seeing Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and Willie Dixon was part of his blues education that could only be learned by seeing these great artists first hand. Years later Anthony had the opportunity to play piano with Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Otis Rush, Chuck Berry, Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turner, Jimmy Rodgers and many more-something a sixteen-year-old budding blues pianist would never have seemed possible. Anthony has recorded with Big Walter Horton, Ronnie Earl, Big Jack Johnson, Zora Young, Sugaray Rayford, Debbie Davies, Kenny Neal and many more great Blues Artists. Anthony graduated from the Berklee College of Music with B.A. Degree, and a M.A. from Skidmore College.

His critically-acclaimed 2015 release, Fifty Shades of Blue, (Delta Groove Records) earned multiple Blues Music Award nominations from the Blues Foundation in Memphis. Nominations include: Best Song-for the title track, Best Album, and Best Traditional Blues Album. Anthony also received an individual nomination for the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year Award. Fifty Shades of Blue was also nominated for Traditional Blues Album of the year by Blues Blast Magazine, and was ranked as one of the top 50 Blues recordings of 2015 by Living Blues Magazine, and earned a 4 Star Review in Downbeat Magazine.

In 2019, Why Did You Have To Go (Shining Stone) received nominations by the Blues Foundation Blues Music Awards for Album of the Year, Traditional Album of the Year, Song of the Year-“Angelina, Angelina”, as well as individual nominations: Pinetop Perkins Piano Award, Traditional Male Blues Artist and Band of the Year-an unprecedented 6 personal Nominations!

His 2020 release, Daydreams in Blue (Shining Stone) debuted at #1 – Living Blues Radio chart, #1 -Roots Music Report-Blues, and #4 – Billboard Blues Chart.

In 2021, Anthony won the Instrumentalist-Piano Blues Music Award. He won the award again in 2023.

Following his chart-topping Daydreams in Blue, Anthony returned with Blues Called My Name, a dynamic collection of original compositions featuring esteemed special guests Anne Harris, Walter Trout, Sugar Ray Norcia, Monster Mike Welch, Erika Van Pelt, and The Boston Blues All-Stars. Award-winning blues guitarist Ronnie Earl shared this praise for Geraci and the new album: “Anthony has been contributing to this music for many years, and his new album illuminates the many colors, shades, and styles of the blues. Anthony is very inspiring, and I love his dedication to the old masters like Otis Spann, Sunnyland Slim, and Big Maceo Merriweather.”

Anthony’s new CD, Tears in My Eyes, is slated for Spring 2024 release. Walter Trout said: “This album is his latest musical exploration. I feel like he grows with each new release. Along with his stellar band, he continues to put out vital and beautiful art. His playing continues to be about honesty, tradition, invention, expression, and even humor. I am honored to call him my friend.”

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