Steve Meisner, a Whitewater resident until his passing in 2023, per his obituary “was a multi-talented musician, entertainer, composer, and arranger who traveled the country and world with his band.” A master on the accordion, Meisner was particularly known for his polka band.
An article on the Shepherd Express dated April 11 provides a review of a new Steve Meisner and the Legacy Band album titled “Legacy.” Below are some excerpts; the complete article may be viewed from the link above.
‘Legacy’ by Steve Meisner and the Legacy Band: Legacy
Over a dozen years before his 2023 death at 62, Whitewater polka bandleader Steve Meisner had the ambition to record an album that represented the breadth of his musical taste and what he enjoyed playing in concert. Though he wasn’t able to see that task through to its completion, some friends and admirers have.
Legacy is comprised the rudiments of the career-defining statement he was able to track before his passing. Those bits of his voice, accordion and whistling (!) are fleshed out by the Legacy Band, featuring Southeast Wisconsin old time music mainstays, including multi-instrumentalists Don Hunjadi and Tom Brusky, to make a 16-track collection.
Legacy makes it seem almost as if the middle Meisner in the family’s musical lineage never left…..
Legacy plays as a worthwhile tribute to one of Wisconsin’s most storied and amiable ambassadors of a music inextricably associated with the state. And like all good polka, it brings a happy atmosphere, even to the loss of a much-missed musical figure.”
From Meisner’s website:
Steve’s Brand New CD, Legacy, Is Here!
February 10, 2025
We’ve been talking and teasing for many months about a new CD release coming from Steve Meisner and the members of the Legacy Band. If you have been waiting, the wait is now over. Legacy, the brand new CD from Steve and the guys, was officially released at the Illinois Polkafest in Schaumburg, Illinois. This is a truly unique recording featuring sixteen polkas, waltzes, and a variety of selections spanning multiple genres. You’ll hear Steve singing and playing along with the members of his band. You’ll hear the Steve Meisner Legacy Band playing brand new songs and many Meisner arrangements. And you’ll also hear Steve Meisner singing along with the Legacy Band. You can see the list of songs along with hearing several song samples and then order the brand new CD right now from the Merchandise Page. No longer have a CD player in your car or at home? Legacy is also available on a USB drive inside the jacket instead of the CD. Get either format or order both! Take a look right now and be among the first fans to get this brand new recording.
