Steve Weiss always found a way to smile when the sound of a drum was within earshot.
The legendary owner of Steve Weiss Music Shop in Willow Grove had a gigantic influence on percussionists all around the Philadelphia area.
For the fourth year, Weiss will be remembered with the Steve Weiss Mallet Festival, bringing live performances and workshops at various locations Aug. 4-10 including the Settlement School in South Philly’s Queen Village neighborhood.
“He was an amazing guy for percussionists,” said internationally renowned jazz vibraphonist Tony Miceli, who lived in Bella Vista for 20 years. “Steve had a really successful business and he made a lot of money and he would help us out. I would go and buy something and I would say I would pay him off. He would just say, ‘Take it and pay me off when you get the money.’ He was that kind of guy. He really helped a lot of us out.”
Weiss passed away in 2014, but his music store and the festival live on through a combined effort by Miceli and Dan Sullivan, who runs the music store.
“Dan took over the business and he was Steve Weiss’ right-hand man,” Miceli said. “Dan is as nice and kind and sweet as Steve was. I said to Dan, ‘Let’s make a festival in honor of Steve.’ He sponsors it and I bring in all these percussionists but they are mainly mallet players, like xylophone, marimba and vibraphone. I love doing it. I love bringing these uncommon instruments into the community.”
Famous percussionists such as Warren Wolf, Valerie Naranjo, Sasha Berliner, Chien Chien Lu, Matthew Coley, Christos Rafalides, Behn Gillece, Oliver Mayman, Morgan Wallbridge and Miceli will be in town for workshops and performances throughout the week.
The festival kicks off on Aug. 4 with a concert at the Barnes Museum featuring Temple University percussion students, Emily Roane Steel Drum Ensemble, Coley and the Tony Miceli Trio.
Chris’ Jazz Cafe at 1421 Sansom St. will host three nights of concerts including Wolf on Aug. 8, Berliner on Aug. 9 and an All-Star Jam session on Aug. 10.
Settlement Music School at 416 Queen St. will host a free concert on Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. featuring the Steve Weiss Mallet Ensemble, led by Miceli, Gillece, Oliver Mayman, Margan Wallbridge and Naranjo.
“I love Settlement Music and I wanted to include them because I think Settlement is really valuable to the community, especially after losing University of the Arts,” said Miceli who was both a former student and teacher at the recently closed University of the Arts. “We’ve always had a good audience in Queen Village but I really want to get the community involved. The more the better, even though it’s been really good so far.”
Those looking for a more hands-on experience can take take part in workshops that will take place from Aug. 5-9 at the Settlement Music School. Taught by some of the greatest percussionists in the world, the workshops provide a unique experience for anyone looking to learn about the industry. Tickets are $625 for the whole week. Although relatively new to Settlement Music School, the music workshops go back several years with Miceli, who is an inspired educator who delivers vibraphone master classes all over the world. Visit https://www.tonymiceli.com/events/2024-weiss for more information.
“I’ve been doing the workshops for probably 20 years now,” Miceli said. “I started at the University of Delaware until I couldn’t do it one year because they booked all their rooms. Then I did it in my house and my then-girlfriend freaked out when I had 12 vibe players in my house all week. Then it moved to Settlement and it’s been there ever since. It’s a really intensive week where we have classes in the morning and afternoons. I get young students that come and I get older people that want to play. It’s a lot of fun, but a lot of hard work.”
The week of rhythm and beats is something Weiss would have certainly enjoyed. Whenever a percussion instrument was struck, a smile from Weiss would emerge. No matter the circumstances.
“A little-known secret is I used to book Mummers,” Miceli said. “I booked a few Fancy Brigades back in the early 1980s. I talked (Weiss) into playing bass drum with us. There he was, walking down Broad Street banging the bass drum. Honestly, we were all miserable because it was hard work but he was having so much fun. He was the only guy with a smile on his face.”
