photo by Marilyn Stringer; photo courtesy of Anthony Geraci

Album Review of Anthony Geraci – Tears in My Eyes (Blue Heart Records)

I love a good blues piano player, and Anthony Geraci is one of the best. Tears in My Eyes is Geraci’s second release on Blue Heart Records. On this record, Geraci is joined by guitarist Barrett Anderson, bassist Paul Loranger, and drummers Marty Richards and Kurt Kalker. Vocals are most often handled by Sugar Ray Norcia. And Mario Perrett (saxophone), Drew Davies (saxophone), and Anne Harris (violin) all make appearances, rounding out Geraci’s all-star line-up.

Geraci’s rolling keywork and Norcia’s gruff, enthusiastically downtrodden, steady vocals drive album-opening “Broken Mirror, Broken Mirror,” a perfect introduction to this soulful blues record.

Peppy instrumental “Owl’s Nest” follows, with a groovy, hip rhythm supporting Geraci’s adept keywork and Davies’ prominent saxophone. It’s very likely my favorite instrumental on this album, feeling more jazzy than blue, as Tears in My Eyes showcases its musical breadth.

image courtesy of Blind Raccoon

The title track is up third on this record. Barrett Anderson handles the vocals on “Tears in My Eyes”; his tone blends well with Geraci’s energetic ivorywork and, in a couple of spots, with Anderson’s own small guitar runs. “Tears in My Eyes” is mainstream enough to fit well on adult contemporary radio alongside soft rock songs, perhaps alongside one of Chicago’s hits or even, with a nod to the guitar riffs, a softer classic rock number. I’d consider “Tears in My Eyes” to be the most likely multi-genre crossover song on this record.

The whole album is solid, and it’s a fun beginning-to-end listen, but I’ll stick to a few of my personal favorites the rest of the way. (Your favorites may differ.)

“Judge Oh Judge” is an interesting standout, with Norcia’s vocal delivery, plentiful saxophone fills, and old-school, traditional pianowork recalls the sort of music you might expect in a Prohibition-era speakeasy. Really cool stuff!

The piano-playing on instrumental “Oh No” reminds me a bit of Blog favorite Bob Malone, with saxophone offering some playful back-and-forths.

Though it’s not an instrumental, the pace and tempo of “Ooeee” is consistent throughout, offering opportunities for the musicians to show off, riffing off the steady rhythm line, and whenever the “ooeee” vocal appears, I could easily hear the audience singing along. It’s a cool song, and I bet it’s a big crowd favorite when performed live.

“Memphis Mist” stands out, as the addition of a violin adds a unique flavor to this instrumental that strolls along like a walk through a quiet cityscape. Perhaps, I guess, that city is supposed to be Memphis in the mist. (I’ve never been to Memphis, so in my mind’s eye I picture New York, walking alongside Central Park.)

After the rollicking, modest-tempoed blues rocker “Witchy Ways,” the album closes with a pair of mellow numbers, “Now What” and “Lonely Country Road Blues,” the latter fully instrumental, to set the listener down with a soft, blue landing.

The musicianship on this record, beginning to end, makes it an enjoyable, easy listen. Blues fans of any ilk should check it out. And, of course, keep an eye out for any opportunity to see Anthony Geraci perform live. From this record, I can tell that the breadth and depth of his pianowork would be mesmerizing in a performance setting.