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Tony Miceli

Vibraphonist Tony Miceli, whose playing has been compared with the legendary Milt Jackson and Gary Burton, grew up in New Jersey, currently resides in Philadelphia, and has been working steadily on the jazz scene since 1980. As a group leader, sideman, and recording artist, he has performed with numerous top musicians including David Liebman, Jimmy Bruno, Ken Peplowski, John Blake, Diane Monroe, John Swana, Joe Magnarelli, Steve Slagle, Larry McKenna, and many others. In addition to his work with the group Monkadelphia, which he co-founded in 1990, Miceli is a member of the PhilOrch Jazz Ensemble (a quartet featuring members of the Philadelphia Orchestra) and the Adam Unsworth Ensemble. His recordings include a compilation CD, Looking East with the Philly 5; On a Sweet Note, with Gerald Veasley and the Electric Mingus Project; Band Shapes with French pianist Olivier Hutman; Monkadelphia; Crepuscule (featuring Monkadelphia); Music From the Inside Out, a companion CD for a documentary showcasing the Philadelphia Orchestra.

In addition to his busy schedule of club dates, concert performances, and recordings, Miceli is a sought after master teacher. In addition to workshops in Amsterdam and other major cities, when at home base in Philadelphia, he conducts master classes at the renowned Curtis Institute of Music and gives private instruction in his home studio. He is a member of the Jazz Faculty at the University of the Arts and Temple University, and serves as a consultant to various music and arts organizations. Of his playing and musicianship, reviewers have praise: “Miceli's vibes playing is nothing short of phenomenal, as he moves effortlessly from fiery virtuoso runs to gentle, pianissimo, legato improvisations on the ballads.” “Micel's playing had a transcendent glow. He was no longer playing notes, but rather developing ideas that seemed to come from a source beyond himself.” “His runs were so rapid and well executed that it was as if he had a couple of rogue virtual mallets helping him out.” “Miceli’s solos were done with agility and subtlety, stunning the audience with their virtuosity.”

Miceli is a consummate versatile musician who is involved in diverse musical currents and projects. His CD Hippie Jazz with vocalist Meg Clifton recapitulated the rock music of the 1960s-70s in a jazz format. In a concert called “Mozart Reloaded” at the Kimmel Center, he played vibe improvisations behind singer Joanna Pascal’s rendition of a Mozart opera aria. With crossover violinist, Diane Monroe, he is now working on a project using jazz, folk, and classical influences.

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In Pictures

Tony Miceli with The John Toomey Trio at the Attucks

Read "Tony Miceli with The John Toomey Trio at the Attucks" reviewed by Mark Robbins


Tony Miceli playfully warned the sold-out audience at the Attucks Jazz Club that if they did not want to be hit in the head with a mallet to not tell a vibraphonist he or she is playing the xylophone. Mallets were flying during Miceli's Saturday night gig but the only thing getting hit was his vibe. Miceli is an internationally sought-after vibraphonist playing gigs all over the world. Based in jny:Philadelphia Miceli, in addition to performing, teaches at ...

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Live Review

Tony Miceli: Vibraphone All-Star Jam Session at Chris’ Jazz Cafe

Read "Tony Miceli: Vibraphone All-Star Jam Session at Chris’ Jazz Cafe" reviewed by Victor L. Schermer


Tony Miceli and Company Vibraphone All-Star Jam Session / Steve Weiss Mallet Festival Chris' Jazz Café Philadelphia, PA August 3, 2019 It's hard to imagine how five (if you include a special guest, six) vibraphone players can come together to provide an hour or so of great music at a small club. However, this event succeeded admirably in doing so. Tony Miceli, founder/director of the first Steve Weiss Mallet Festival ...

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Jazz Near Me

A Stable of Percussionists at the Barnes Foundation

Read "A Stable of Percussionists at the Barnes Foundation" reviewed by Gloria Krolak


Tony Miceli, A-list vibes player and creator of the online Vibes Workshop, is a generous man. He shared his recent First Friday gig at the Barnes Foundation on Ben Franklin Parkway in jny: Philadelphia with a round-up of the Malletech company's stable of mallet masters. After brainstorming with Leigh Howard Stevens, owner of Malletech, the two came up with an array of percussionists across genres--chamber music to jazz--to share with foundation members and guests. They included jazz vibes ...

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Jazz Near Me

The Third Annual World Vibes Congress Creates Waves in Asbury Park

Read "The Third Annual World Vibes Congress Creates Waves in Asbury Park" reviewed by Gloria Krolak


Another epic gathering of vibraphone players was uncorked and, like Champagne on New Year's Eve, this bubbly was not staying in the bottle. Part of the Third World Vibes Congress, the jam exploded at the packed Langosta Lounge and Restaurant on Asbury Park's boardwalk early in January. Pairs of vibes players, many of whom had never played together or even met, formed quartets with stalwarts, bassist Loren Cohen and drummer Alvester Garnett. They rolled in like waves. First ...

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Interview

Tony Miceli: Vibes Matter

Read "Tony Miceli: Vibes Matter" reviewed by Victor L. Schermer


Tony Miceli is a long-time master vibraphonist who, until a few short years ago, was relatively unknown outside of the jny: Philadelphia area, when he started getting requests to perform and teach all over the world. Now, he is in demand in Ireland, South Korea, Argentina, and Australia, not to mention New York and the West Coast, and the list of places is growing every day. Miceli deserves the newfound renown. He is widely regarded by the cognoscenti, including vibraphonists ...

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Album Review

Diane Monroe/Tony Miceli: Alone Together

Read "Alone Together" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Violinist Diane Monroe and vibraphonist Tony Miceli have been working together in various contexts for about three decades, but that doesn't mean they had instant comfort with the idea of working as a duo. When they first visited the idea in 2009, both Monroe and Miceli were a bit apprehensive. Regardless, they decided to move past their fears and move forward with the partnership. They spent time honing their sound together, finally presenting that sound to the public via live ...

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Live From Philadelphia

May 2012: Tony Miceli / Craig Ebner Quartet

Read "May 2012: Tony Miceli / Craig Ebner Quartet" reviewed by RJ Johnson


Tony Miceli/Craig Ebner QuartetChris' Jazz CaféPhiladelphia, PAMay 25, 2012Philadelphia-based vibraphonist Tony Miceli and guitarist Craig Ebner led their quartet through two sets dedicated to the music of the Red Norvo Trio.Norvo's renowned trio included guitarist Tal Farlow and bassist Charles Mingus--both relative unknowns during their time in the vibraphonist's group from 1949 to 1953, but eventually becoming immensely influential figures on their own instruments. With a repertoire comprised mainly of ...

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Event

Good Vibes To Take Place At First Annual Vibraphone Congress In Asbury Park, NJ

Good Vibes To Take Place At First Annual Vibraphone Congress In Asbury Park, NJ

Source: Victor L. Schermer

Vibraphonist Tony Miceli has been making a big splash with his recent international gigs, recordings, master classes, workshops, and internet vibes website, and on-line classes with many of the great contemporary vibes players. A dedicated musician, he seems intent on bringing to the vibraphone the kind of visibility and instructional opportunities that are more common for the saxophone, guitar, and other of the more “popular” instruments. With the initiation of the 2014 Annual Vibraphone Congress, Miceli takes these efforts to ...

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Performance / Tour

Tony Miceli & Diane Monroe In Media Pa Wednesday April 17th!

Tony Miceli & Diane Monroe In Media Pa Wednesday April 17th!

Source: Jim Miller

Appearing at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County—145 West Rose Tree Road in Media—on Wednesday, April 17th is jazz vibraphonist Tony Miceli with violinist Diane Monroe. Tickets are $10, $5 for students, and are available only at the door. Show time is 7:30 p.m. Information: 215-517-8337. Jazz has produced but a few world class vibraphonists through the years. Tony Miceli, whose playing has been compared to Milt Jackson and Gary Burton, is one. Now in his third decade as ...

Performance / Tour

Monkadelphia At The Barnes In Philly On Friday Dec. 21st!

Monkadelphia At The Barnes In Philly On Friday Dec. 21st!

Source: Jim Miller

Monkadelphia (Tony Miceli, vibes; Chris Farr, saxophone; Tom Lawton, piano; Micah Jones, bass; Jim Miller, drums) will be playing at the Barnes Museum, 2025 Ben Franklin Parkway in Philly on Friday Dec. 21st from 6 - 8 PM, which of course is the End of the World according to those who believe in the Long Count Mayan calendar, the Planet X Nibiru or any combination thereof, predicting doomsday (yet again) that very night...What a way to go! Anyway, it just ...

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Interview

Thelonious Monk Repertory Group Monkadelphia Interviewed at AAJ

Thelonious Monk Repertory Group Monkadelphia Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz

Over the past several years, there has been a revival and reconsideration of the music of Thelonious Monk. No one embodies this trend better than Monkadelphia, a group of Philadelphia-based jazz musicians who play his music exclusively--a difficult challenge which they embrace with vitality, panache, and sophistication. With Chris Farr on saxophone, Tony Miceli on vibes, Tom Lawton on piano, Micah Jones on bass, and Jim Miller on drums, this group makes the Monk legacy come alive, sustaining rapt attention ...

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Technology

Tony Miceli Begins a Series of Internet Live Performances, Including Guest Artists

Tony Miceli Begins a Series of Internet Live Performances, Including Guest Artists

Source: All About Jazz

If jazz is going to thrive in the New Millennium, musicians will need to find new venues for performance and recording. In recent years, especially for non-established younger musicians, performance opportunities with nightclubs, festivals, and standard record labels have been diminishing. If jazz is to reach a wider public, it will have to do so in new and creative ways. Clearly, the internet will feature significantly in such innovative developments, as will such technical devices as laptops and i-phones. The ...

“Tony Miceli is a vibraphonist of astonishing virtuosity, musical resilience, and inventiveness.” –Vic Schermer, All About Jazz
Primary Instrument

Vibraphone

Location

Philadelphia

Willing to teach

Intermediate to advanced

Credentials/Background

University of the Arts
Temple University
Curtis Institute of Music
vibesworkshop.com

Clinic/Workshop Information

Countless clinics around the world, including South Korea, Patagonia, Ireland, Germany and all over the U.S.

Eric Zabala
vibraphone

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Alone Together

Dreambox Media
2014

buy

Music of the Future

Self Produced
2012

buy

Looking East

Self Produced
0

buy

Videos

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