THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: There were no "mice" in the Ratpack—it was strictly an all-boy's club. But if Frank, Dean and Sammy ever returned from the Great Casino in the Sky, the first youngish female singer that I'd recommend to join their clan is this high-voltage entertainer. Ms. Genecco is deeply rooted in the early 1960s, the colorful last gasp of the era of swingin' lovers, and, as such, draws equally from Louis Prima and Sammy Davis on one hand and Ray Charles and Elvis on the other. On the last Tuesday of each month, she and her three horns and five rhythm put on an unstoppable juggernaut of a set at the Iridium, with one hard-hitting swinger after another, pausing only for what she describes as a mandatory "two-ballad maximum." The calendar may say Dec. 28, but Ms. Genecco makes every show seem like New Year's Eve.
TERESE GENECCO: Press
CABARET SCENES MAGAZINE REVIEW: Now into its third year, the two-set show that powerhouse performer Terese Genecco headlines at Iridium on the last Tuesday of every month is considered the “longest-running nightclub act on Broadway. It’s also called “the biggest little party,” but the late June extravaganza was more like a celebration... How does one come up with more creative superlatives for this raging talent? From the moment the diminutive, spiky-haired brunette hits the stage she seems to transform into a larger-than-life entertainer. Terese has been called a “one-woman Rat Pack.” Her version of Sammy Davis, Jr.'s “West Side Story Medley,” with just drums and percussion backing her up, was a tour de force. And if Sinatra heard Terese deliver Bill Zeffiro’s swinging new song “Universal Truth” —a potential MAC Award nominee—(“You’re just a schmuck in love”), he’d probably want to come back for a recording session. The most impressive thing about Terese Genecco is her obvious versatility, which is why her “Little Big Band” show could play to packed houses for years on Broadway or the Vegas Strip. READ MORE AT THE LINK BELOW.
THE NEW YORK TIMES: If you own nothing of [Frances] Faye's... "Caught In The Act" is a good place to start. So is Terese Genecco, who performs songs identified with Faye at the New York club Iridium. Please don't stop reading. Genecco is no dumb tribute act. She does not want to be Frances Faye; she does make you understand why she's so important. CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ENTIRE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE.
BAY CHRONICLE, NEW ZEALAND: "At 95 you have no peer pressure." ~Russ Garcia "Genius - I use the accolade sparingly. Within a week I have witnessed the extraordinary talents of two men I happily place in the realm of genius...Neil Ieremia is the artistic director-choreographer for New Zealand's highly acclaimed dance troupe Black Grace which wowed us last Thursday...Last Saturday Russ Garcia celebrated his 95th birthday with friends and admirers conducting a memorable concert giving insight into his extraordinary creative genius and genial personality - love that naughty humor. The show also featured New York singer Shaynee Rainbolt whose interpretation of Russ Garcia's compositions and Gina Garcia's lyrics was simply sublime, with the perfect voice. Terese Genecco who has the longest running [nightclub] show on Broadway is a delight with an ebullient personality and great jazz vocals. Host Tim Beveridge nailed 'All The Things You Are.' And what a band - most of NZ's top jazz musicians featuring a four-trombone section. Thank you Neil and Russ, take a bow."
NEW ZEALAND HERALD: Russ Garcia, that doyen of Hollywood arrangers and composers is, believe it or not, just a few days away from turning 95. And rather than sitting at home in Kerikeri contemplating a birthday cake, the veteran is in celebration mode, giving concerts in Kerikeri and Auckland, not to mention an Easter turn at Tauranga's jazz festival. With vocals handled by Tim Beveridge alongside American jazz-cabaret artists Shaynee Rainbolt and Terese Genecco, Garcia and his 10-piece band play Kerikeri's Turner Centre tonight and Auckland's Raye Freedman Centre next Friday. Genecco, credited with fronting the longest-running cabaret show on Broadway, discovered Garcia while researching her one-woman show, "Drunk With Love," a tribute to the late Frances Faye. (Garcia had arranged some of the sizzling charts behind the fiery Faye.) I can't resist asking both women what makes Garcia's music so special. For Genecco, it is a matter of "tight harmonies and unique rhythmic twists. Where Nelson Riddle might take you right through a line or phrase, Russ will have a hiccup along the way and turn it around on you which creates a real sense of humor in his uptempo writing. This is the man who wrote the book on arranging." FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE, CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW.
GO MAGAZINE NYC: Like Frances Faye, the 20th century lesbian nightclub icon who paved the way before her, Terese Genecco is an entertainer’s entertainer. She's got the accolades—though not the ego—to prove it. An award-winning singer and bandleader, Genecco performs two live shows on the last Tuesday of every month at The Iridium NYC, one of the world's best purveyors of live jazz...She's the ringleader of a retro-cool nightclub act with the longest open-ended run on Broadway. It's won critical praise from Time Out New York, The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal... CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.
EXAMINER.COM NYC: This is one hot chick who is also one cool cat! Terese Genecco heads up eight fab musicians in an easy, swingin’ vocal jazz style...She’s a take charge gal proficient in every aspect of music and performance, keeping the Great American Songbook alive and kicking... Genecco grabs her audience and holds on tight with her powerhouse sassiness... Terese showed off her multi skills as she took over at the drum set singing and playing a steaming “Unchain My Heart,” ending her first set to a full appreciative house. Terese Genecco & Her Little Big Band can be seen at the Iridium Jazz Club the last Tuesday of each month at 8 and 10 p.m. CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.
CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE: I always say that if Keely Smith and Sammy Davis Jr. had a love child, it would be Terese Genecco. If you have never seen T in action – treat yourself! She is a ball of energy! I usually check-in with T and the Little Big Band whenever I am in need of a lift because she is the tonic! There is no one out there who does what she does. She has powerhouse vocals; great taste in music; one of the best bands working AND, the arrangements are as much of a star as her vocals. She sings "boy" music ... music made famous by the likes of Sammy, Frank, Dean, Mel so it's really cool to hear these tunes in her voice and from a gal's perspective. The show changes month to month but she does keep a few of her "chestnuts". She is consistently one of the BEST shows in town! CLICK THE LINK BELOW AND GO TO SUE MATSUKI'S COLUMN TO READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.
EDGE NEW YORK: There’s a monthly party going on in New York and you’re all invited. Don’t be crying in your beer if you miss your chance to see Terese Genecco at Iridium while the ticket is still reasonably priced and before she moves on to the world’s great halls. The irrepressible Genecco-an old school, world class entertainer the likes of which many decry that they don’t make anymore-bounds onto the stage with her (count ’em) eight piece band (her Little Big Band, she calls them) and launches into Charles Strouse’s "Lot of Livin’ to Do." Dressed in a black tux, shirt and tie, this dynamo - like many of the greats before her - is short in stature but gigantic in talent and charisma. CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.
NITELIFE EXCHANGE NYC: TERESE GENECCO:ONE YEAR AND COUNTING! There’s a meeting for hopeless addicts that happens once a month on 51st Street and Broadway, as those souls who need their fix descend a narrow stair to a dark basement room. Huddling there by the glow of a blue sign, they can be seen shaking and howling with others who share the habit they can’t quit. “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” can be heard in the air, and all commiserate. That habit is attending the blazing musical performances of a dynamo named Terese Genecco. "Infectious energy" would be putting it mildly. It does get "under your skin," with the drug of choice being pulse-quickening music... And the addiction grows. Check it out. Come to a meeting. My name is Rob Lester and I am a Geneccoholic. CLICK BELOW TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE.
WOMAN AROUND TOWN NYC: SWING DETONATES ON 51ST STREET: The diminutive powerhouse, Terese Genecco, and Her Little Big Band “kick it” from Broadway clear across the Hudson, creating the kind of big, brassy, expansive swing that flourished in the forties and fifties. Eight terrific musicians and their vocalist leader, commandeer the Iridium stage for over two hours of what genuinely feels like a party. The salty Genecco kids her collaborators with warmth and familiarity reminiscent of The Rat Pack. She’s clearly where she belongs up there. CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.
PERFORMING ARTS INSIDER NYC: "A Discovery: I went to see TERESE GENECCO & HER LITTLE BIG BAND at Iridium on 51st and Broadway. Wow! She has a strong, wonderfully musical, lyrical chest voice...She's lively, charming, and filled with humor and charisma, and the whole show is a class act - top level New York Cabaret - good music and fun... Genecco is a world class star who could carry a Broadway show... Spectacular. This is one of the best shows in town, and they play at The Iridium the last Tuesday of every month! CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.
EDGE NEW YORK CITY: OUT OF THE OFFICE, ONTO THE STAGE: It’s hard to believe that the dynamo who sings with the eight-piece band every month at the Iridium and beyond, for many years made a good living selling insurance, but such is the case for Terese Genecco... CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW.
EXAMINER.COM SAN FRANCISCO: If you don't know Terese Genecco, you should. She's a pint-sized dynamo...vivacious, funny and gifted with the need to swing in a big, bold way. It's a gloomy world out there, but with Terese Genecco and her Little Big Band in the house, it's a WHOLE LOT BRIGHTER! CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.
NEW YORK POST THEATER EDITOR'S BLOG: More wattage—and fun—than an entire evening of Rufus Wainwright at Carnegie Hall! Genecco reminded me of Keely Smith. Let's just hope New Yorkers will catch on! CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ENTIRE BLOG POST.
THE SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER: TERESE GENECCO SWINGS S.F. LIKE IT'S LAS VEGAS in a rollicking retro show! Genecco's sheer personality lights up the stage as much as her vocals! CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.
TIME OUT NEW YORK MAGAZINE/TOP LIVE SHOW PICK: Backed by an ace band, Genecco sets the room swinging with her zippy tribute to Frances Faye! CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ENTIRE RECOMMENDATION.
TIME OUT NEW YORK MAGAZINE TOP TEN BEST LIST: Top Ten Best Cabaret Shows in New York City [2006 & 2007] Genecco's got a bouncy, cooking seven-piece band, spirited jazz arrangements of popular tunes, and snappy, zippy swing! She leaves you feeling like part of an inner circle of frisky retro fun! CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO SEE THE LISTING.
CABARET SCENES MAGAZINE NYC: With just her band’s invaluable guitarist Sean Harkness for musical accompaniment, Terese Genecco shows her sensitive and rootsy sides as the two re-imagine all the songs from Elvis Presley’s first album...An adventurous re-shaping by this creative, magnetic pair... Her voice revealed new colors in the plaintive, moody and relaxed, simple country numbers... They humanize the legend... We’ve got a woman capable of making us see Presley in a new, warm light. CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.
NITELIFE EXCHANGE NYC: TERESE GENECCO SINGS ELVIS PRESLEY! As a part of Under The Covers, the New York Nightlife Award winning series produced by Lennie Watts, Terese Genecco sings this ground-breaking album from start to finish, in a groundbreaking live performance, accompanied by Musical Director Sean Harkness on the guitar!. From the lilting blues – ballad arrangement of "Blue Suede Shoes" to the rocking "Just Because," Ms. Genecco presents Elvis' self-titled first album, Elvis Presley (recorded in 1954, 1955 and 1956), track by track, with a twist – every song is sung to a different beat than the original. I warn you, this is not your mother's Elvis... A perfect evening... Whether you are a devout Elvis fan, or a devout Terese Genecco fan, or both, this is a great show not to be missed! CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.
Take it from ME, YOU'LL HAVE A BALL!
View Terese Genecco's EPK (Electronic Press Kit)
Terese...You sing with a voice like Keely Smith and the energy of Louis Prima!
CABARET SCENES MAGAZINE NYC: It's pure caffeinated joy with a wailing vocalist matched by a knockout expert ensemble... Infectious, spontaneous combustibility! CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.
CABARET SCENES MAGAZINE SAN FRANCISCO: There isn't a better match of performer to material: Heartfelt, powerful, bawdy. The band and arrangements are first rate. Those lucky enough to catch Terese Genecco will be treated to a rising cabaret star ranked one of the year’s best! CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.