Local Emmy-nominated vocalist, percussionist and songwriter Patsy Meyer released her latest album “Changes” last week.
The largely instrumental album, which blends smooth jazz with Latin-inspired grooves, comes from incomplete compositions that Meyer wrote with her late husband over a decade ago. Meyer’s husband, John Henry Kreitler, was a 10-time Emmy-winning composer and worked on notable series like “Law & Order” and “Melrose Place.” He died at their Northern Kentucky home on Jan. 28, 2024.
“I have so much music that was just sitting there in a treasure box. I’ve found, in my grief, that I needed to move forward, complete this and share it with the world. I don’t know what inspired me to put it out now. I guess it was just being able to finally get back to it, and to be coming out of the dark, as Gloria Estefan said,” Meyer said. “I miss his creativity, his intelligence and musicality, and I miss him as my partner. I just felt like there was an opening in my life to let this all the music out, and it all still sounds relevant today.”
Meyer got her start as a vocalist in the eighth grade after participating in choirs, variety shows and the like. She contemplated going to school for music, but ended up majoring in fashion and interior design. The Cincinnati native ended up falling back into the musical realm anyway when she moved to Los Angeles in 2001 and ended up going on tour with Grammy-winning jazz guitarist Norman Brown.
Over time, she worked her way up to playing at some of the world’s biggest venues — like the Hollywood Bowl — with famous acts like Patti Austin, Peabo Bryson, War and Cheap Trick. In addition, she and her husband took up residence in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, every winter for more than a decade to perform in local jazz clubs.
Eventually, Meyer returned to the Queen City permanently in 2018. She now teaches at schools across the city, facilitates drum circles for the Cincinnati Arts Association, is heavily involved with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and was inducted into the Cincinnati Jazz Hall of Fame last year. She still performs, too, as the leader of the Patsy Meyer Trio.
“When you’re on tour, you’re living in a hotel, so it’s a little different. I would be in Dallas performing for three weeks, and then we would go to Boston, and then Montreal, and so on. It wasn’t a permanent thing, but it was enjoyable,” she said. “But I just love being back here. Even while I lived in LA for 18 years, I’d come back all the time. Cincinnati feels like home. My daughter is also a musician who works for the Children’s Theatre, and I get to see my little two-year-old grandson a lot, which makes me happy. Plus, we have great musicians here in Cincinnati that could rival any LA musicians most of the time. Just saying.”
Meyer will be performing at Fountain Square on Sept. 15 to celebrate the album’s release, and plans to have a more formal album release party at Caffe Vivace some time soon. In her free time, she’s also putting together another album she wrote with her late husband that is “100% vocal.”
“I’m trying to continue on with our vision. You know, it took a while to get the courage to do that, and to have the growth mindset to try to pursue a lot of the things we wanted to do together. I don’t know. I just hope that everyone enjoys the album and it takes them on a really nice, smooth journey. Have a glass of wine and put it on,” she said. “I don’t plan to stop anytime soon … I just can’t imagine doing anything else. I love playing. I love singing. I love creating music. It’s my life.”
For more information on Patsy Meyer, including details on her new album and her upcoming shows, visit her website.
