[Dixielandjazz] George Mesterhazy

[Stephen G Barbone]

>  Tamas Itzas <bohem at fibermail.hu> wrote
>
> Barbone wrote - The legendary jazz pianist George Mesterhazy and
> friends are there and I'm guessing a jam session with them and others
> will develop. If you don't know who Mr. Mesterhazy is, shame on you.
> ------------
> Steve, shame on me, but I don't know Mr. Mesterhazy but he is  
> Hungarian.
> (We have a lot of people in arts and also in politics with that name.
> Shame on the latters, too...) So who is George Mesterhazy? I looked  
> him
> up on www.georgemesterhazy.com and by his look he can easily be  
> relative
> of one of my Mesterhazy acquaintances. No music on his home page  
> though.
>

Dear Tamas:

The shame was for the Northeast USA fans only. George is virtually  
unknown outside the area which he inhabits. He has no desire to travel  
nationally or do anything else than what he is doing locally.

He is indeed of Hungarian descent and known as a "musician's musician"  
among his many fans, musicians and non musicians alike, in New Jersey.  
He has been performing at the Merion 6 nights a week for as long as I  
can remember. Every once in a while he migrates to New York City for a  
week or two, plays and/or arranges music for some of the bands there.  
He knows thousands of songs.

For live clips of him in performance t the Merion Inn, Cape May, NJ.  
see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riUK521RWzk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luEiW1BsZpc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdbzX3WTQoE&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riUK521RWzk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V99AYm7Tm1U&feature=related

It may not be OKOM  for everyone, but the man plays his ass off and is  
fun to hang with. He is both a great soloist and a great comper. There  
is so much good music here in Pennsylvania / New Jersey / Delaware and  
a shame that it is unknown to most folks outside the area.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband