Q&A:Gerry Mancuso
Drummer understands the rhythm of life
NIAGARA FALLS—A drum roll, please, for—Gerry Mancuso. This gifted musician’s drumming to a new tune. The classicly trained percussionist, 67, of Niagara Falls, a retired nutritional and biochemistry consultant, will donate his first-year royalties from his new nationally released CD, “Swing Time! The Big Bang,” to Women &Children’s Hospital, in appreciation for good surgical care he received when he was just a tot.
As a result of that treatment, Mancuso grew up to jam with some legendary artists, including Gene Krupa.
Mancuso’s new swing-band CD features percussion to Duke Ellington and others and is put out by Tree Sound Studios. It’s available at Lewiston Music on Center Street in the Village of Lewiston, and Generation Music, at The Summit mall in Wheatfield.
Gerry Mancuso’s interest in percussion, and Gene Krupa, started at age 3, when little Gerry would listen to his dad’s Krupa recordings. At age 14, his dad, Frank Mancuso, bought him his first Krupa album and a set of drums.
Gerry’s parents took their talented son to a Buffalo supper club during the mid-1950s, where Krupa was playing, and the two were introduced. This led to a long-term friendship with Krupa and his band. Over the years, when Krupa played in local nightclubs, he’d also visit the Mancuso home, where mom, Ellen Mancuso, would serve up some fine Italian pasta dishes for Krupa and the band. In his teen years and early 20s, Gerry Mancuso went to Krupa’s performances in New York City clubs like Birdland and the Metropole. This gave the fledging musician an opportunity to play some Manhattan gigs and led him to performances in the one-time combined Buffalo/ Niagara Philharmonic.
Tell us more about your early health challenges?
At ages 1 and 2, I suffered a degenerative bone disease. Surgical intervention helped me on the road to healing. Back then, when use of antibiotics wasn’t available, they’d amputate. They wanted to amputate my arm. They did two bone grafts instead. It was a miracle I survived. I’m fortunate have my appendages. The human body does remarkable things. In my case, I was blessed.
Since I wasn’t able, as a child, to partake in sports, my interest turned to music.
How did that happen?
My mother wanted me to take up an instrument. First it was guitar, which lasted about six weeks. In spite of my early physical problems, I was able to develop good coordination that enabled me to master the art of percussion in a variety of styles that included jazz, swing, African and Latin beats.
We heard you wrote a book, “Logistics of Solo Percussion.” Why percussion?
I love it. Rhythm is international, people understand it. You have to use both sides of the brain, and use mathematics and physics, putting together all these rhythms, in different patterns. As a kid I was looking for something easy, but if it’s studied seriously, it’s complicated and can be difficult to master.
If you don’t love it, it can be monotonous.
Why donate your earnings?
Music became part of my life, and I never forgot what the surgery did for me.
How did you prepare for a career in music?
I studied under George D’Anna at the University at Buffalo and eventually earned an M. A. from the School of Music Institute of Jazz in Austria and a Ph. D in health sciences from New York University.
How did Gene Krupa wind up being your mentor?
At a special event years ago, I was introduced to the international percussionist, who was classicly trained — a lot of people didn’t know that Gene was a kind person and took a musical interest in me, and that led to me being an understudy to Gene. This led to Gene spending time with my family, when he came to play at Buffalo nightclubs.
Where have you performed?
Over the years, I played with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, performed with New York City musical shows off- Broadway, like “Cabaret,” “Hello Dolly,” “West Side Story” and many others. I’ve worked with Louis Armstrong, Bill Doggett, Erskine Hawkins and others.
Is it true there were some pauses in your career?
My music career was put on hold while I raised three children. I put the drums away in 1971. It wasn’t a good life for the kids. I worked in later years going on tours with many various bands but had never been given an opportunity to have my percussionist talent recognized by any record company release. Till now. . . . [When my children became adults] I came out of my self-imposed retirement and started to play at many local functions, fundraisers, and other venues. Sometime later, I was invited to play at a private party where my talent was recognized by a man with ties to a major record studio. This resulted in [the new CD].
Have an idea about a Niagara County-resident who’d make an interesting question-and-answer column, or an issue worth exploring? Write to: Louise Continelli, Q&A, The Buffalo News, P. O. Box 100, Buffalo, NY 14240
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments