[Dixielandjazz] ZEP MEISNER

[Don Ingle]

He wrote for Lawrence Welk, Kay Keiser, and did freelance charts for singers
as well as his own small jazz group. Wonderful fellow, kind to a young guy
learning the ropes -- me -- in arranging, and was a top flight clarinetist
and alto sax player.
His charts always made sense. Just follow them the way they were written and
you can't get in trouble. But then you still have to read.
Don Ingle

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "LARRY'S Signs and Large Format Printing" <sign.guy at charter.net>
To: "DIXIELAND JAZZ POST" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2004 6:57 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] ZEP MEISNER


Hi guys I have a Dixieland band here in St. Louis.  Mostly I use two other
guys and a computer to fill in the background.  I make a lot more money that
way.  I have started a Dixie big band called RAZZAMATZZ.  I  acquired a book
with many ZEP Meisner arrangements.  I became familiar with his arrangements
when I was in the 571 st Air Force Band.  There were some tunes in the
archives.  I don't know much about him except that he arranged some for
Spike Jones and was active in the 30's and 40's, owned a music store and
played alto and clarinet.

Who else did he arrange for?

Unfortunately his music is tough in spots and aren't sight readers for most
of the guys.  The better rhythm guys that play Dixie are in such demand that
they don't want to spend the time with it.  We play a lot of head
arrangements most of the time because some of the best players really don't
like to read.   It's sort of a circle - if you don't have gigs then you
don't have players - if you don't have players you can't do demos or take
pictures but without that you don't get gigs.

I will probably select about 25-30 of Zeps tunes and fill out with head
arrangements but I really want to bill this group as an authentic band
rather than as "St. Louis Dixie" style band.

I play soprano / tenor sax.  I used to play clarinet but I got some nerve
damage in a fall on the ice last year that keeps me from feeling/covering
the holes.
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