Frank Mesich

Trombonist and euphonium player Frank Mesich died November 22, 2023, at age 84, and belatedly deserves inclusion in this column. Frank was co-leader, with cornetist Jim Ritter, of the Buck Creek Jazz Band, one of the most influential traditional jazz ensembles in the Washington, D.C.–Maryland–Virginia region and a longtime cornerstone of the Potomac River Jazz Club.

Formed in the late 1970s, Buck Creek became known for its stable and distinctive front line of Ritter on cornet, Mesich on trombone, and John Skillman on clarinet, a combination that remained intact for more than three decades and defined the band’s sound. After a 1977 PRJC picnic debut, Buck Creek became the club’s de facto “house band,” anchoring concerts, picnics, festivals, and jazz cruises, including a long run of PRJC events at the Springfield Hilton and regular appearances at Rosensteel Hall in Silver Spring.

Under Mesich and Ritter’s co-leadership, Buck Creek expanded from a regional favorite into a nationally recognized festival and jazz-cruise attraction, with repeat engagements across the United States and abroad. Mesich’s forceful tailgate playing and disciplined ensemble work were central to the band’s balance of New Orleans polyphony and festival-ready drive, and PRJC retrospectives later credited Buck Creek with shaping the identity of the club itself.

Away from the bandstand, Mesich earned a PhD in nuclear chemistry from Iowa State University and worked in the chemical and environmental consulting fields before retiring in 1995. He remained musically active in big bands, town and church ensembles, and Dixieland groups including Buck Creek and A Touch of Dixie, while also composing, mentoring younger musicians, and recording in his own studios.