Today the MLWI celebrates the birthday of the late, great Geri Allen! The MLWI was born out of a conversation between Geri Allen and Bobbie Ferguson, niece of Mary Lou. Geri was an approachable person who was welcoming to and welcomed by the Mary Lou Williams family. Geri was most respected and appreciated by Mary’s sisters, Geraldine and Marge. Geri also had a close relationship with Fr. Peter O’Brien, Mary’s manager. 

Geri performed at the 2010 Mary Lou Williams’s 100 birthday celebration. This special celebration included Dee Dee Bridgewater, Terri Lyne Carrington, Grace Kelly and Esperanza Spalding. From then until her death, Geri remained in contact with Bobbie and the MLW family. Geri would later accept the position of Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, a position which she held until her death in 2017.

During the time Geri and Bobbie spent together, the vision for recognizing ML in her hometown of Pittsburgh was born. Through Geri’s relationship with Fr. O’Brien, the MLW Foundation and the MLW family, the idea on how the MLWI began to take form. 

Today the MLWI, a nonprofit 501c3 tax exempt organization, recognizes the birthdate of Geri Allen! Her input, interest and insight into MLW and the seeds she planted for the Institute will never be forgotten!