GARY MEISNER TRIO: “SOMETHING OLD SOMETHING NEW"

This is the final 2024-2025 Amherst Java & Jazz Season program. Our 2025-2026 Amherst Java & Jazz Season begins the last Saturday in July, so please watch the AGAR website, https://www.amherstglebeartsresponse.org/, or the Second Stage | Amherst website, https://www.secondstageamherst.org/, for information.

Several years ago Gary relocated to Lynchburg as a result of marrying the well-known piano teacher Beverly Henkel. In the past few years Andy Aeschbacher, Ernest Deane and Gary have "jammed" on Monday nights. This weekly session became known as Jazz at Beverly's. The tunes they play are an outgrowth of these sessions.

Gary's first experience playing music was with the accordion. As he grew up in Milwaukee there wasn't a more popular instrument. The result was that there were untold opportunities to play. Some of his engagements included a weekly television show on WISN for six months and a radio show on WTMJ that ran for two and a half years. Performances with the Milwaukee Symphony Pops orchestra playing Fiddler on the Roof was a notable highlight.

In the 80s Gary gradually transitioned to the piano. His more than four decades as a keyboard editor at Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation helped in this process. As a part of his job he arranged more than twenty-five accordion books as well as a method which comprise a significant part of the Hal Leonard accordion catalog.
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Chuck Hedges, a wonderful Clarinetist, provided the next step in Gary's piano playing as he offered him the opportunity to play in a group called the Milwaukee Connection. Over the next ten years there were many gigs and some recordings. The most notable recording was Sweet and Lovely with strings arranged and conducted by Paul Keller.

Lynchburg has a thriving music community and Gary is grateful for all the musicians with whom he has played.

Also check out other Music events in Amherst, Entertainment events in Amherst.