Brian Mesko

Raised in a musical family in Little Rock, AR, Mesko studied multiple instruments and developed a passion for jazz, emulating artists like John McLaughlin, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Wes Montgomery. While still in high school he studied Jazz Guitar Theory & Ensemble at UALR under Michael Carenbauer (who studied under Pat Metheny at Berklee). Taking these credits to Middle Tennessee State University, Brian completed a bachelor’s degree in Recording Industry, along-side performing professionally on guitar, bass, and drums.

Brian stayed in Nashville until 2005 working as an AV Technician and continuing to perform, with such international jazz greats as Les McCann, Tony Monaco, Dr. Lonnie Smith, John Jorgensen, and Jeff Coffin. After moving to central Virginia in 2005, Mesko has worked with such jazz artists as Robert Jospe, Butch Taylor, John D’earth, Bobby Read, and Steve Kessler, and has shared the stage with blues legends Bob Margolin, Mud Morganfield Jr., Big Bill Morganfield Jr., as well as with Wayne Newton, Michael Allman, Groove Collective, and the DJ Williams Projekt.

Brian has performed internationally in Turkey, Southern France, and on the Greek islands of Patmos and Naxos, and has released two jazz albums of original music, "Songs With Friends" by The Rootdowns organ trio, and “One Thing Right” by The Danktet, featuring prodigious bassist Dane Alderson of The Yellowjackets. He continues to be heavily active in this area’s music scene. Having taught private lessons for 30 years, Brian currently resides in Roanoke, VirginiaA and has taught at the college level as an adjunct professor of Guitar and Bass, Guitar Ensemble, Jazz Combo, and Music Industry Ensembles at the University of Lynchburg, SVU, and currently Virginia Tech and Randolph College.