Live Themes by Ryan Meisel Quartet- (2002)

"Live Themes" is Meisel's first recording project. All songs are relics of Ryan's first composition sessions that were written over a two week period in the winter of 2002 while Ryan was attending the University of Wisconsin Madison. Ryan first started honing his skills as a composer by using ideas he heard from his favorite artists. John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Wayne Shorter, Charles Mingus and James Carter, to name a few. Ryan infuses his personal interests and life experiences into his music, creating a platform for improvising while staying true to swing, funk, and avant-garde styles of jazz.

While raw in quality, this recording is pinnacle in Ryan's development as a band leader and establishes the style that Ryan would try to capture in the coming years.