Tony Miceli

Tony Miceli

Tony Miceli with his Malletech Vibraphone
Background information
Born (1960-07-01) July 1, 1960
Cincinnati, Ohio
Genres Jazz
Occupation(s) Vibraphonist, composer, educator
Instruments Vibraphone, marimba
Years active 1976-present
Associated acts Monkadelphia, The Jost Project, David Friedman, Dave Liebman, Steve Slagle, Dave Stryker, Peter Bernstein, Gerald Veasley
Website www.tonymiceli.com
Notable instruments
Musser M-55 Vibraphone

Tony Miceli (born July 1, 1960) is an American jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, educator, and composer. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and grew up in Willingboro, New Jersey. Miceli has spent his adult life living, teaching and performing, in North America and Europe, from a base in the city of Philadelphia. He is currently on the faculty of the University of the Arts (Philadelphia),[1] and Temple University,[2] and is busy both performing on the jazz club circuit, and teaching, both in North America, and in Europe. His performances regularly encompass a wide variety of musical genres, including virtually any jazz standard, to jazz interpretations of classical music (a repertoire that includes Villa Lobos, Mozart, and Bach)[3] to interpretations of Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and other rock composers from the 60's. Tony Miceli has performed with many notable musicians including David Friedman, Joe Magnarelli, Dave Liebman, Elio Villafranco, Steve Slagle, Dave Stryker, Peter Bernstein, Gerald Veasley, and Joanna Pascale. After graduating with a Bachelors in Performance from the University of the Arts in 1982, he began a career that included composing, recording, teaching and performing. Some of the venues and festivals he has played include Degu Jazz Festival (Korea), The Reading Jazz Festival, the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, The Jazz Standard, The Zinc Bar, 55 Bar, The Wexford Art Center (Ireland), and The Mallet Institute (Düsseldorf Germany). He is also the creator and moderator of the Vibraphone Community Website http://vibesworkshop.com.

Early life and career

Born in Cincinnati, to a businessperson father and police officer mother, Miceli was drawn to music at an early age, starting on classical guitar and then drums, piano and trumpet. He played drums in a high school band called Minas Tirith,[4][5] and after graduating from John F. Kennedy High School (Willingboro, New Jersey), and not sure what to do for college, he suggested drums to his father, and to his surprise, his father helped him find lessons, prepare for and get into college. He attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia from 1978-1982, and it was there that the vibraphone caught his eye and ear. He focused much on the vibraphone that at his senior recital he didn't do all of the required material on the timpani, snare drum or marimba. His teacher, local legend Nick D'amico fought hard for him to pass, and succeeded.

80's and Early 90's

In the 1980s and early 90s, Miceli toured extensively through Germany with the percussion group “Mallet Madness”. Featuring Miceli on vibraphone with Ron Von Strattun (drums), Bernd Zinzius (Bass) and Christoph Eidens (vibes and marimba), Mallet Madness played jazz versions of rock songs, in a trio reminiscent of the guitar trios of the 60's, with vibraphone replacing guitar as the feature instrument. The group played clubs and festivals throughout Continental Europe including: Schlag. Wekstatt, Jazz Fruhling, Deutsches Percussion – Symposium, Stadtgarten Restaurant, Rundfunk, K14, Blue Stage, Mulheimer Jazz Club, and the Essen Jazz Festival. In 1995, and back in Philadelphia, Miceli started "The Rock Band" with bassist Kevin MacConnell and Drummer Harry "Butch" Reed. A result of Miceli's early Rock Music influences, the group covered several British Invasion bands including The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Kinks, and Jimi Hendrix.[6] This group ultimately became "The Jost Project" when vocalist Paul Jost was added to the lineup.[7]

Monkadelphia

In the late 1990s Miceli created the Philadelphia-based group Monkadelphia, a group "dedicated to performing the music of Thelonious Monk in an innovative, contemporary way."[8] Playing Monk's work, along, with Chris Farr on saxophone, Tom Lawton on piano, Micah Jones on bass, and Jim Miller on drums, was a "difficult challenge which they embrace with vitality, panache, and sophistication."[9] The group recorded a selection of 11 tracks called simply "Monkadelphia" in 2000 (Dreambox Media).[10]

Career in 2000s

In addition to teaching at Temple, the University of the Arts, and at various workshops in North America and Europe, Miceli has a busy playing and recording schedule. Mostly playing in the Philadelphia area, he makes regular trips to Germany and Ireland to teach a Master Class in jazz improvisation.[11] When in Europe he is a regular in the Band Thelonious 4, another all-Monk band, based out of the Netherlands, and an Irish tribute band to the Modern Jazz Quartet. In October 2007 he played with Saturday Night Live alumnus Joe Piscopo at Philadelphia's Chris' Jazz Cafe. Piscopo had met Miceli when he reached out looking for a vibraphone player for a gig at a casino in upstate New York.[12][13] Miceli regularly teaches master classes at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

Vibesworkshop.com

In 2008 Tony Miceli created the website http://www.vibesworkshop.com/, a resource for vibraphone players, students, teachers and aficionados. Known as something of an "outright evangelist for the instrument",[14] Miceli started the site with a view to creating an online community of vibe players to help spread the word about the instrument, and create opportunities for those who play and teach it. With over 3,000 members it is the de facto online headquarters for the vibraphone industry and includes regular lessons by world class players such as Gary Burton, Joe Locke, Ed Saindon and David Friedman. One of the features of the website is hosting regular online "vibe hangs" from various master classes being taught by Miceli around the world, where local masters and students share via web stream with others who are passionate about the vibraphone.

Discography

Discography - On other artists' releases

Miceli has performed on the following releases:

Endorsements

Miceli endorses the following products:

Mike Balter Mallets [15]

vanderPlas Baileo Mallet Instruments [16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ University of the Arts. Tony Miceli | The University of the Arts. University of the Arts website, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  2. ↑ Temple University. Tony Miceli - Adjunct Faculty. Temple University website, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  3. ↑ Schermer, Victor "Mozart: Reloaded": A Jazz and Classical Multimedia "Salon". All About Jazz Website 2006. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  4. ↑ Spreier, John The History of Minas Tirith Minas Tirith Website 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  5. ↑ Lieber, David David Lieber David Lieber Myspace Page 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  6. ↑ Anderson, Bruce. (February 3, 1995) "Band bridges gap between rock and jazz". Courier Post, p 9E, 19E.
  7. ↑ About the Jost Project Paul Jost Music Website 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  8. ↑ Schermer, Victor L. - Mallet Magic. All About Jazz website, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  9. ↑ Schermer, Victor L. - Monkadelphia: All Monk, All the Time. All About Jazz website, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  10. ↑ Monkadelphia Monkadelphia Dreambox Media Website 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  11. ↑ Limerick Jazz Tony Miceli Quartet plays the music of MJQ Limerick Jazz Website 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  12. ↑ Takiff, Johathan (October 27, 2006). "Joe Piscopo, the Singer". Philadelphia Daily News
  13. ↑ Klein, Michael (October 10, 2006). "Inqlings | Region is down one in radio markets". Philadelphia Inquirer
  14. ↑ Brady, Shaun (August 9, 2012) Tony Miceli Vibes Night Philadelphia City Paper Website 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  15. ↑ Mike Balter Mallets Artist Series Mike Balter Website 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  16. ↑ vanderPlas Baileo Artists vanderPlas Baileo Website 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
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