Faculty Profile: Anthony Geraci

If you were to think of any modern blues legend, chances are that part-time faculty member Anthony Geraci, who has taught at JSC since 1999, has backed them up. Muddy Waters, B.B., King, Otis Rush, Big Mama Thorton, Chuck Berry and countless others have had Anthony's fiery piano accompanying them. Anthony has been nominated for two 2008 W.C. Handy and the Blues Foundation awards for best Blues Album (My Life, My Friends, My Music; Severn Records) and for Song of the Year (The Last Words of a Fool) with Sugar Ray and the Bluetones. Anthony was also nominated for a Grammy in 2000 for his work on Super Harps I (Telarc Records) that also features James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, Billy Branch, and Sugar Ray Norcia. You can also hear him on Ronnie Earl's first two releases on the Black Top record label, They Call Me Mr. Earl, and Smokin'.


Anthony was the leader of his own band "Little Anthony and the Loco-Motives' that toured extensively in the North East United States and Canada, where they played at the Montreal Jazz Festival, and many Labatt Blues Festivals throughout Quebec. Their two records on the Deluge Label Can't Take It, and Don't Wait on Me, both received rave reviews.


With Ronnie Earl he toured extensively in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South America, and the United States, playing such premiere Festivals as The Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland), The North Sea Jazz Festival (The Netherlands), Rome (Italy) Olympic Stadium Blues Festival, Free Jazz (Rio De Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil), The Peer Rhythm and Blues Festival (Belgium), The Newport Rhythm and Blues Festival and many more. Anthony was also an original member of the original House of Blues (Cambridge, MA) Blue Monday All-Star Band.


In September 2005 Anthony played for over 250,000 people at Festa Do Avante in Lisboa, Portugal and returned again in 2007. In summer 2006 Little Anthony and the Locomotives rejoined to play at the Mt. Tremblant International Blues Festival (Tremblant, Quebec) to overwhelming critical acclaim.


Anthony has had the honor to back up the following great musicians:

Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Jimmy Rodgers, Big Walter Horton, Hubert Sumlin, Big Mama Thorton, Otis Rush, Big Joe Turner, Hal Singer, Chuck Berry, Wilson Pickett, Bo Diddley, Mighty Sam McClain, Buddy Miles, Billy Boy Arnold, Jimmy Vaughn, Ed Cherry, Eddie Taylor, Jimmy "T 99" Nelson, Snooky Pryor, Lazy Lester, Left Hand Frank Craig, J.B. Hutto, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Carey Bell, Brownie MaGhee, Memphis Slim, Dickie Betts, Van Morrison, Jeff Healey, Steve Miller, Peter Wolf, J. Geils, John Hammond, Kenny and Raphael Neal, G.E. Smith, Keb' Mo, Roomful Of Blues, Duke Robbilard, Ronnie Earl, Otis Grand, Kim Wilson, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Billy Branch, Luther "Guitar Jr.' Johnson, Bob Margolin, Debbie Davies, James Montgomery, Jerry Portnoy, Mark Naftalin, Big Joe Burrell, Paul Asbell, Willie "Big Eyes' Smith, Zora Young, Big Time Sarah, Eddie Shaw, Darrel Nulish, Monster Mike Welsh, Gordon Beetle, Angela Strehli, Sarah Brown, Lucky Oceans, John McGale, Billy C. Farlow, Jumpin' Johnny Sansone, Mark Hummel, Michelle Wilson, Monty Amundson, and many more musicians throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia.

Fine and performing arts at JSC