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HEADLINE: TERESE GENECCO SWINGS S.F. LIKE IT'S LAS VEGAS!

Terese Genecco doesn't mess around, boy. She and her "little big band" are playing most Saturdays through May at San Francisco's Hotel Nikko in a rollicking retro show titled "Last Call," but it might as well be named "Party Time!"

Genecco's sheer personality lights up the stage as much as her vocals in a Las Vegas-style performance that amusingly has a two-ballad limit.

Read the rest of the review by clicking on the link below:

"HERE'S SOMETHING YOU GOTTA DO ON A SATURDAY NIGHT. HEAD FOR THE NEW RRAZZ ROOM IN THE HOTEL NIKKO WHERE, AT 10:30 EVERY SATURDAY, THE GREAT TERESE GENECCO PERFORMS HER LATE SHOW CALLED "LAST CALL!" THIS DYNAMIC ENTERTAINER IS BACKED BY HER LITTLE BIG BAND -- A FANTASTIC 7-PIECE BAND -- AND SINGS SOME OF THE BEST OLD STANDARDS -- THE MUSIC OF HENRY MANCINI, BURT BACHARACH, COLE PORTER, HAROLD ARLEN, THE BEATLES AND SO ON -- ALL IN HER VERY OWN ENERGETIC, JAZZY STYLE. I COULDN'T KEEP MY FEET FROM TAPPING AS DID EVERYONE ELSE. WE HAD A TERRIFIC TIME AND YOU WILL TOO. TERESE GENECCO IS PERFORMING HER LATE SHOW, "LAST CALL!" ON SATURDAYS AT 10:30 AT THE BEAUTIFUL NEW RRAZZ ROOM IN THE HOTEL NIKKO. TAKE IT FROM ME, YOU'LL HAVE A BALL. FOR KGO ENTERTAINMENT, I'M JERRY FRIEDMAN"

Terese Genecco in DRUNK WITH LOVE at The Metropolitan Room, NYC, May and October 2006 ~ TOP TEN LIST ~ The Best Cabaret of 2006. "Backed by an ace band, Genecco set the Met Room swinging with her zippy tribute to Frances Faye" (Top Live Show)

TOP LIVE SHOWS IN NEW YORK CITY: Terese Genecco in "DRUNK WITH LOVE!" ~ "Bouncy, cooking seven-piece band, spirited jazz arrangements of popular tunes, snappy, zippy swing...leaves you feeling like part of the...inner circle of frisky retro fun."

"More wattage—and fun—than an entire evening of Rufus Wainwright at Carnegie Hall!...I was reminded of Keely Smith, but also of Anita O'Day's hard-swinging Songbook albums of the 1950s and 1960s, especially 'Anita O'Day Swings Cole Porter' with Billy May and 'Anita O'Day and Billy May Swing Rodgers and Hart'... Genecco's diction was impeccable and she never got thrown off the runaway-train melodies; unlike Wainwright, who looked and sounded as if he was struggling against the songs, Genecco—who also played the piano on some tunes—was never less than supremely comfortable with the material. And the band looked as if it was having a blast, a statement in and of itself. Let's just hope New Yorkers will catch on enough to make it worthwhile for Genecco and her band to come back soon!"

Click the link below to read the review of Terese's newest show, "Drunk With Love: The Sequel" from her Metropolitan Room performances in NYC in November 2007.

There isn’t a better match of performer to material than Terese Genecco’s ‘Drunk with Love’, a heartfelt tribute to the music of the inimitable Frances Faye. Genecco, like Faye, enjoys a fluid comic banter with her audience, breaking the fourth wall, and possesses a powerful voice, able to belt out the oft-bawdy material for which Faye was renowned.

Assembling a “little” big band of crackerjack musicians, and recreating the horn and bongo sound Faye incorporated into her shows, Genecco has successfully transported and updated a lost period of cabaret music, and for that we should all be thankful.

Frances Faye was a favorite of mine, a one–of-a-kind openly bisexual performer, who interjected sexual double entendres and the names of her friends into song lyrics, courted her ‘gay kids”, and played the rough saloons and speakeasy’s of the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s. While greater fame eluded her, she was highly regarded amongst her musical peers. Her comic stylings endeared her to her audiences, and it suits Genecco’s abilities and personality in recreating Faye’s material and arrangements.

Genecco’s show and CD rely heavily on Faye’s live 1958/63 club engagement, recorded and released as “Caught in the Act”. Included are all the Faye idiosyncrasies; the mid-song banter with the musicians, performing only a few bars to a song only to abandon it for a joke, including audience members’ names into a lyric, and the brassy bossa nova big band sound that the horn section and bongos afford. For this engagement, Genecco was blessed with special guest Jack ‘Mr. Bongo’ Costanzo, who played with Faye, and appears on the “Caught in the Act” recording! I asked Costanzo what he thought of Genecco’s tribute and all he said was “I flew 500 miles to be here, didn’t I?”

Faye gems like “The Man I Love”, “I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate”, “Night and Day” and “Drunk With Love” seem written directly for Genecco. Her version of “Kansas City” was one of the finest performances of the year and brought her the first of her standing ovations. The band and arrangements are first rate for both the shows and the live CD recording. Given that most people are unfamiliar with Frances Faye, those lucky enough to catch Terese Genecco will miss the obvious comparisons and be treated to a rising cabaret star totally at ease with her style and abilities. I know its only June, but Genecco’s “Drunk with Love” will be ranked one of the year’s best cabaret shows!

TERESE GENECCO: Cabaret's Class 4 Hurricane! Jan/Feb 2008

She's hot. She's brassy. She's bold, and sexy. Terese Genecco (pronounced "Teh-REECE Jeh-NECK-oh") continues to attract critical acclaim and new audiences wherever she performes - whether it's San Francisco, Hollywood or New York City. She gives her horn section nicknames like "Stinky, Spitty, and Slide." Her energy is prodigious, and her banter between tunes is like jazz; a loose script, different every night.

Whether in her solo shows or on stage at new York's Mabel Mercer Cabaret Convention, Genecco wows the audience. Her tribute to Kate Smith at the 2007 Convention brought down the house. The applause had scarcely ended when she headed forty blocks south to offer her "Drunk With Love: The Sequel" to a late-night audience at The Metropolitan Room. As she'd done at the Convention, she captivated the audience with her vocal power, artistry and pure joy of performing.

Genecco has enjoyed a dazzling amount of attention in the scant three years since the debut of her first solo show, "Drunk With Love: A Tribute To Frances Faye!" The show's five week run in San Francisco was followed by a stand at New York City's encore Room and her appearance at the Cabaret Convention that October. She was nominated as a MAC Award contender for best female debut, and earned an invitation to be the second act, sandwiched between Billy Stritch and Karen Mason, to help inaugurate New York's then-newest nightclub, the Metropolitan Room, in the spring of 2006. And that brought Genecco a 2007 Backstage Bistro Award plus a spot on Time Out New York magazine's Top Ten Best Cabaret shows.

Who is this tempest of a performer, band leader, vocalist, and musician who is knocking everyone's socks off from coast to coast? Originally from an idyllic little town nestled into the Bristol Hills at the northern tip of Canandaigua Lake in upstate New York, she grew up with an older brother and surrounded by 12 close cousins and an extended italian family. Her mother, Susan Genecco, noticed that at five years old, Terese was relentlessly plunking out melodies on the family piano in the living room, and convinced the local piano teacher to break her minimum-age rule and let the youngster begin lessons.

Terese was a natural, and in addition to the piano, eventually learned to play the guitar, cello, saxophone, drums, and percussion. Throughout her high school years she played and sang in every school band, orchestra, chorus and ensemble available, and studied dance, acting, and music theory. one summer she was at the Fred Waring Choral Worksho and the next at the Carnegie-Mellon pre-college musical theater training program. There followed enrollment in and then graduation from Syracuse University's Drama Department, with a major in musical theater.

Canandaigua Lake may have been home to her, but it offered little to hold an aspiring singer-actress. It was ither New York City or Hollywood, and Genecco concluded her deliberations with a three-week journey, crossing the country California-bound on a motorcycle that was four hundred pounds heavier than her petite five-foot, 105-pound frame. "It was the coolest thing I've ever done," she says, "and I'm glad I got it out of my system at an early age. I've only crossed the country by land four times since then, and non of them on a motorcycle."

While waiting for the big break, Genecco's day job took over her life, and a handful of years down the road, she was enjoying success in as workaday field as one could find, commercial insurance. She'd build an impressive roster of clients, and had a beautiful home high in the Oakland Hills with the family piano in the living room. The music career was on longterm hold, until a meeting with Broadway legend Barbara Cook finally set those musical wheels back in motion.

"I'd first met Barbara Cook in London during my final year of college, immersed in a semester of music and theater studies overseas. A group of fellow students and I waited for Ms. Cook outside the Palladium after her performance, hoping to get her autograph. Instead of an autograph, we were invited home with Barbara and her long-time musical director, Wally Harper, where we gathered around the piano and sang with them until the wee hours of the morning! She was gracious, and beautiful, and encouraging to each of us. It was a magical night. I sang 'Chain Of Love,' which I had been rehearsing for an audition. it never occurred to me that I should be intimidated to sing a song that Barbara Cook had originated on Broadway. I truly just wanted her adivce on how to make my version better! Ah, the blissful ignorance of youth!" Genecco laughs.

I met Barbara and Wally again in San Francisco on New Year's Eve 2000, and to my great surprise and pleasure, not only did they remember that night in London, but told me they had often commented on it to each other over the years and agreed that it was one of their fondest show business memories. Then they asked me if I was still singing and I told them no, I was too busy selling insurance. Barbara gave me a look and said, 'What are you waiting for?'"

Genecco resolved then and there to resume her dormant singing career. A cabaret class was offered twice a year at A.C.T. in san Francisco, but with the winter/spring session already begun, she planned to take the class in the fall. Before she could, disaster struck. One sunny spring morning while Genecco was at the office, her house in the Oakland Hills caught fire, disrupting all her plans. Yet another New Year rolled around before she wa back in her restored home, considering a return to her musical ambitions.

While Genecco was seeking a seasoned accompanist for her first cabaret show, an internet search brought up an advertisement for a 2003 San Francisco Cabaret Competition. The next foggy Thursday night she set out to investigate the proceedings, and a week after that, with an assigned piano player, she belted out her first three songs. A panel of judges and an appreciated crowd put her on her way to the semi-finals.

The three months of preliminary rounds provided Genecco with what she considers the strong foundation of her later success. She was in the audience every single performance, learning the craft and forging relationships. She met jazz/cabaret legend, Wesla Whitfield, and was encouraged by the competition judges to take one of Whitfield's master classes before the semi-final rounds, which she did. The relationship endures as a strong friendship between the two. Genecco also was introduced to "the Crown Prince of San Francisco Cabaret," Barry Lloyd, now a frequent collaborator and another dear friend. NYC jazz/cabaret vocalist Shaynee Rainbolt, still a resident of the Bay Area at that time, became an artistic and business collaborator. The two developing performers played mutual roles for each other, acting as personal assistant, publicist, errand runner, and/or the other's motivational counsel. During the competition, Genecco found an artistic turning point. Steve Murrya, one of the competition judges (and now a Cabaret Scenes magazine reviewer and contributor) encouraged Terese to listen to Frances Faye and Faye's live 1958 recording, "Caught In The Act." The youthful Genecco had never heard of Faye, but ordered the recording. She put the CD into her car stereo and states that her life was altered on the spot. She instantly fell in love with Faye's style, charisma, character, double-entendres, and musicianship. She played the song "Drunk With Love" over and over until she memorized it, then went home and worked out the music at her piano. She brought the arrangement to rehearsal and she and Lloyd decided it would be a standout for her in the semi-final round. Lloyd added some finishing touches and at her performance, Genecco received the highest score of the entire competition, advancing her to the finals at The Herbst Theater the following week.

Another random, and fortunate, event occurred that week during a visit from Amy "Bob" Englehardt, the female voice and songsmith for the a cappella group, The Bobs. Amy, a former college classmate of Genecco's, reminded her of a gem of a comic number. "Amy called her husband Alex in L.A.," Genecco recalled, "and had him locate and fax up the sheet music for 'Garbage' by Sheldon Harnick to us," and the winning song for the finals was decided upon.

Not only did Genecco win the "debut" category in the Cabaret Competition, but her combination of her signature song, Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind," and Harnick's "Garbage," propelled her to the event's overall win. She received the Jo Carol Davidson "Entertainer of The Year" award to cap off the months-long competition, and set in motion the next phase of her musical development. "Once I returned to my first love - which has always been music - I realized it was time to give it my undivided attention," said Genecco. Selling insurance wa transferred to the far back burner, and the flame soon was turned off for good.

Singers and musicians seem to gravitate to Genecco personally and professionally. percussionist Mayra Casales, working with Terese at the Metropolitan Room, terms her "absolutely fantastic, a very powerful woman, and a pleasure to play with." Drummer Randy Odell calls Genecco "dynamic...she pulls out all the stops." San Francisco trombonist max Perkoff admires "her very flexible voice that's able to adapt to a wide variety of styles. She's as wonderful at singing sweet ballads as she is at up-tempo jazz, pop and rock." He adds, "she treats the band wonderfully." jack "Mr. Bongo" Costanzo, joined Genecco performances at her San Francisco and Hollywood CD release concerts last summer. Performing with the legendary musician, Terese was treated to a rare onstage thrill, introducing him with the identical words Faye had on that 1958 album, "May I present, on my right, Jack Costanzo on bongos."

What's next for Genecco? This February, she's booked at San Francisco's spanking-new cabaret/jazz venue the Rrazz Room in the posh Hotel Nikko. She and her "little big band" will be the regular late-night party fare on Saturdays. her ability to please and emotionally connect to her audience members seems a 'given." She's got a great combination going for her - her music, her energy, her emotional attachment to the subject matter, her friendship and interaction with her adoring band members, and her deep devotion to the American popular song.

Buy the magazine at www.cabaretscenes.org!

"Reserve the brass band now! We'll want one next time Terese Genecco leaves her San Francisco home and returns to perform in a New York club. Those who saw her end-of-April three-night gig at the Metropolitan Room can tell you why. Leaving her customary eight-piece band behind, she took to the stage backed with just her talented musical director, Barry Lloyd, to celebrate the music of Arthur Schwartz. Bringing power, poise, and expressive interpretations to Schwartz's popular and film songs, she combined fine musicianship and story telling - thanks to lyrics from the likes of Howard Dietz, Lorenz Hart, Dorothy Fields and Frank Loesser - to provide an evening of solid, warm-hearted, superbly sung numbers. No better proof was needed than the room's constant glow from patrons' smiles of pleasure throughout her set. To quote the title of a Schwartz-Dietz song: "That's entertainment!"

Terese presents Alone Together at San Francisco's Empire Plush ROom 5/31-6/3; 6/6-6/9.

"A class four hurricane...a truly rare performer...a drop-dead delight!"

March 01, 2007
Here are the winners of the 2007 Back Stage Bistro Awards for Outstanding Excellence in Cabaret:

TRIBUTE SHOW: Terese Genecco in "Drunk With Love: A Tribute to Frances Faye" at the Metropolitan Room.

SPECIAL AWARD: Chris Mazzilli, Steve Mazzilli, and Lennie Watts for outstanding achievement at the Metropolitan Room; Mike Greensill for consistent excellence as musical conductor and arranger.

Other winners include Klea Blackhurst and Billy Stritch, Faith Prince and Tom Wopat, Kurt Elling, Jeff Harnar, Rebecca Luker, and more.

CD REVIEW of "DRUNK WITH LOVE"..."In the most dedicated and triumphant case of identity theft in a long time, Terese Genecco hits the bull's eye in saluting the object of her affection, the brassy and irreverent saloon singer, Frances Faye (1912-1991). The ebullient and emboldened Terese has a warmer and sunnier sound than her idol, and that just makes things all the more joyful. The Faye way fits her like a second skin as she comfortably takes on, or refers to, the late entertainer's sassy way with a song and a quip..." Click the link below to read the full article.

Terese Genecco; a wild and wonderful singer/pianist, is backed by seven of the best musical artists in the Bay Area; The intimate Jazz At Pearl's jazz club in San Francisco was rockin' with the syncopated cyclone singing some of the great Frances Faye's classics; Genecco is able to tear a song to ribbons and put it back, with some filigree added. A voice like Betty Hutton mixed with Bette Midler; her phrasing and musicality is on par with the best of them. She is one of the most charismatic singers that you are likely to see!

Is it cabaret? Is it jazz? is it rhythm and blues? When Terese Genecco sings, it's all of the above, but more than that, it's a party! Her high-voltage performance with an eight-piece band is happy, hearty and hell-raising! Terese channels the no-holds-barred style and forcefulness [of Frances Faye] without being trapped in an 'impersonation.' They share a determination to have a great time and to make sure the audience does too."

"I was thrilled that Terese Genecco was available to be a part of the opening month at The Metropolitan Room. Watching her show takes me to where I imagine New York nightlife was at its heyday. It's not just a show, it's an event. It is truly a must-see for anyone who loved Frances Faye, or just loves to be entertained!" ~ Lennie Watts, Director, Performer, and Booking Manager at The Metropolitan Room, NYC

"We were knocked out by the combination of Genecco's talent and craft. She puts on a terrific show!"

SAN FRANCISCO SHOWS HOLLYWOOD HOW IT'S DONE: Terese Genecco at The M Bar & Restaurant; August 30, 2007

This, of course, refers to TERESE GENECCO & her recent CD release show "Drunk With Love: A Tribute to Frances Faye." I have never written a show review before, because I simply don't know how, but with this show, it comes easy.

First off, the beautiful M Bar was completely jam-filled with the who's-who's in LA Cabaret. To name only a few; JOANNE TATHAM, MARYJO MUNDY, SHAWN RYAN, ANDREA MARCOVICCI, TOM CULVER, GINA ZOLLMAN, RAY JESSEL, GREGG MARX, KERI KELSEY, LINDA KOSUT, STACY SULLIVAN, ANN LESCHANDER, RICK STARR, LEW SPENCE & SHAYNEE RAINBOLT - who did two great numbers as Terese's special guest. Hmmm... what a show this line-up would make - but on to the real show.

Let's talk a little about Terese's "Little Big Band". Well it's not so little with 7 pieces, and if they got paid double, they would still be worth every penny. Keri Kelsey told me after the show that she'll never do a show again without a wind section, and she's right. The sax, trombone, & trumpet players were incredible and really added so much.

There were so many stand out numbers in this show but three of my favorites were; "I Wish That I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate", a really hot "Night and Day" with a bit of a Latin beat, and "Unchain My Heart", that for a minute, I thought the audience would demand an encore of. At 90 minutes, this show never let up and where I've seen singers start out strong and find their voices getting weaker with every song, Terese's got stronger.

At one point Terese remarked that they would be returning to New York with "Drunk With Love 2" without stopping in Cleveland because they would never know who Frances Faye was there. Yes, "Drunk With Love" features songs recorded by Frances Faye, but also by dozens of other singers too. If you take away the very well-covered biographical portions, you're left with one thing: TERESE GENECCO - the real reason to see this show.

I predict that 50 years from now, someone, somewhere, will be doing a Terese Genecco Tribute Show. Let's hope we're all around to see it.

If you missed this show, don't fear, you can buy the CD at:

www.cdbaby.com/cd/TereseGenecco

And here is a great site with some back story on FRANCES FAYE:

http://www.tyleralpern.com/francesfaye.html

View Terese Genecco's EPK

"If you don't know who Frances Faye was, you should. And if you don't know who Terese Genecco is, you WILL!"

"Working with a hot 7-piece band, Terese Genecco delivers showstopper after showstopper and has voice to burn! To say it is a high-energy show would be the understatement of the year. The vivacious San Francisco-based entertainer wears her talent well...her audiences are ecstatic and Terese Genecco is FRAN-tastic!"

"One of the most engrossing, all-out talented performances I've seen in years!"

"A thrilling voice that evoked no less than the great Keely Smith! Great comic timing...a fit heir to the oh-so-gay, Faye tradition!"

"The new QUEEN of the double entendre...Genecco doesn't just appear at a club, she takes it over. What a STORM! What a SHOW! A Whirlwind!"

"I was at The Iridium Jazz Club in NYC recently and caught San Francisco's TERESE GENECCO...in a word, WOW! She's a simply terrific singer, full of joie de vivre and an entertainer with a capital E!"

"The applause was deafening. This is one of the best New York debut performances of this or any year!"

"Genecco tore the place apart - just as Ms. Faye herself was known to do. It doesn't get much better than this! I most certainly want to see it again!"

"Critics live for those moments when the lights go down, a singer puts it out there, and you know right away that you’re hearing something special. This happened to us at the Encore when we took in San Francisco-based singer Terese Genecco’s show Drunk With Love: A Tribute To Frances Faye. You shouldn’t miss it!"

"Fabulously talented! Sensational singer! Simply delicious! Big sound! High energy! A solid crowd pleaser! We all hope that someday soon she'll Come back, Come back, Come back!"

"Captivating! What it would have been like to see Frances Faye in the 50's! Swinging and full of life... All on high power!"

"Even as its aging icons - Bobby Short, Julie Wilson, Barbara Cook - warble bravely on into their late 70's to adoring crowds, and as its middle-aged stars - Michael Feinstein, Andrea Marcovicci, Mary Cleere Haran, Steve Ross, Karen Mason, Christine Andreas, Karen Akers - labor to keep their bright careers polished, new contenders arrive: Maude Maggart, Jamie Cullum, Curtis Stigers, Jane Monheit, Stacy Kent, Kurt Elling, Tierney Sutton, Peter Cincotti, Craig Rubano, Spencer Day, Opie Bellas, TERESE GENECCO, Anna Bergman and Mark Kaufman. None seems daunted by cabaret's checkered past and uncertain future."

"FAYE-TASTIC! Astonishing voice! Utterly delightful and amazing! DRUNK WITH LOVE is spectacular!"

"In this non-stop show of extraordinary arrangements and superb vocals, it's a cabaret miracle, and the Mother Terese is Genecco! One of the most charismatic singers to come along in a long time! Devilishly fun! Give me more, more, and more!"

Early in the [MAC Awards] show, the women nominated for their debut performances (Suzanne Fiore, TERESE GENECCO, Rosalynn McClore and Alisa Schiff) rocked the crowd, belting a high-energy number with lyrics proclaiming that 'this ain't your mama's cabaret.' Playful but powerhouse!"

"Guaranteed to put a smile on your face...big, rich voice...fresh, 'take-no-prisoners' approach...DRUNK WITH LOVE is intoxicating!"

"Don't miss this fabulous singer in performance...run - don't walk - to catch her live!"

March 14, 2006 - by BWW News Desk

The 2006 MAC AWARDS will be presented on MONDAY, APRIL 17 AT 7:30 PM at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center at BMCC, 199 Chambers Street. Hosted by Lee Roy Reams, the 20th annual MAC Awards will include appearances by Phoebe Snow, Ben Taylor, Karen Mason, Carol Hall and Rocky Carroll among others.

2006 MAC Award Nominees Announced
By: Brian Scott Lipton

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs have announced the nominees for the 20th Annual MAC Awards, which will be presented at 7:30pm on Monday, April 17 at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center. There are approximately 100 nominees spread out over 26 categories.
Among the noteworthy nominees: Karen Mason, who starred on Broadway in Sunset Boulevard and Mamma Mia! was nominated in the categories of Major Engagement and Recording for her CD Sweetest of Nights. Barbara Brussell was also nominated in those categories, while former Tony Award nominee Sharon McNight rounds out the Major Engagement category. Also nominated in the Recording category were Klea Blackhurst, Jeff Harnar, and Lee Lessack.

Other vocalists who received nominations in various categories include Lisa Asher, Terese Genecco, Judy Gold, Jeanne MacDonald, Craig Rubano, Matt Sigl, and Lumiri Tubo. Comedienne Adrienne Tolsch, and female impersonators Tommy Femia and Jimmy James were also among the nominees.

"One of the finest new voices I've heard in many years!"