[Dixielandjazz] George Mesterhazy Obit

[Stephen G Barbone]

George Mesterhazy died suddenly yestereday. All of us, regardless of  
jazz genre loved and admired him. Tragic loss. Here is a link to  
George and his trio on "Stella By Starlight", live at the Merion Inn  
in Cape May.


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

Sadly
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband


Musician George Mesterhazy Dies

Sudden death of beloved Cape May pianist and friend of many leaves  
regional jazz community — and beyond — shocked and deeply saddened.

By Jeff Schwachter

George Mesterhazy, one of the finest jazz pianists and arrangers in  
the Jersey shore area, admired around the world, has died, Atlantic  
City Weekly learned Thursday evening, April 12.

Mesterhazy, who was about to celebrate the release of his latest  
recording with singer Paula West, Live at Jazz Standard, with four  
shows at the Manhattan jazz club scheduled  — with West — May 10 to  
May 13, was nominated for a Grammy for his work as a player and  
arranger on Shirley Horn's 1997 album Loving You.

The Cape May resident, who played frequently in the resort town, was  
found dead in his bed earlier Thursday, according to one source close  
with Mesterhazy.

He was 58.

Mesterhazy had just played with his renowned trio at Sandi Pointe in  
Somers Point the night before, Wednesday night, April 11.

"It's a huge loss," says Nick Regine, president of the Somers Point  
Jazz Society, and close friend of Mesterhazy. Regine says he found out  
around 6pm that Mesterhazy had passed, just about 24 hours after  
seeing him perform at Sandi Pointe.

"I just saw him last night. I gave him a kiss. Not only from the jazz  
standpoint is this devastating, but he was just the sweetest  
individual. I just loved the guy. There is a huge hole."


Dan Anderson, who owns and operates Sandi Pointe with his wife, is  
stunned. "It's kind of strange for all of us right now, really  
bizarre," says Anderson, who recalls Mesterhazy as being his "own self  
— fun-loving, entertaining, joking with the audience in the dining  
room, telling stories" and playing his powerful brand of piano per  
usual Wednesday night.

"I've only gotten to know George over the past few years, but he's  
become part of the family here," adds Anderson.

"There are a lot of musicians who we get to know through events with  
the Somers Point Jazz Society, and he got to know everybody here and  
everybody knew him.

"There are some musicians who people get really, really pumped up [to  
see perform] and he was certainly one of them."

Bass player and long-time friend and member of Mesterhazy's trio, Tim  
Lekan, as well as drummer Paul Jost, rounded out the piano man's trio  
for his final set Wednesday night.

This writer had the opportunity to get to know Mesterhazy over the  
years and spoke with him last at the Jazz at the Point festival,  
presented by the Somers Point Jazz Society, in March.

Mesterhazy, with a newly cropped hair-style, faded blue-jean jacket,  
spectacles and scarf, was in attendance for the Saturday night and  
Sunday portions of the jazz festival, hanging out at Sandi Pointe with  
his fellow artists, friends, colleagues and admirers — in good spirits  
as always, and talking about his always-busy music schedule.

The local jazz community, after losing Hassan Abdullah in 2011, Johnny  
Andrews the year before, and now Mesterhazy, is in a state of shock.

Regine says the SPJS will pay tribute to the late great Mesterhazy, a  
dear friend of the organization and its members, in the near future.