Tribute to Terry Gibbs & His Dream Band - Featuring the Earl Phillips Big Band (Steve Weiss Mallet Festival)
Tribute to Terry Gibbs & His Dream Band - Featuring the Earl Phillips Big Band (Steve Weiss Mallet Festival)
What Steve started over 60 years ago as a simple hobby of collecting unique and rare percussion instruments, has now evolved into being the go-to shop for all of your percussion needs. Steve always wanted to be able to provide you with the best collection of percussion instruments and supplies possible. The legacy that is his company continues that vision today.
From his humble beginnings in and around Philadelphia, Steve developed a passion for music at an early age. Since his first drum lesson when he was 10 years old, he always loved playing. After he finished school, Steve got a job with the Reading Railroad during the day and would play gigs on nights and weekends. The railroad let him travel for free, so he started traveling all around the northeast collecting rare instruments. Steve loved walking into a place like Ted's Music Shop in Baltimore and finding a vintage marimba or timpani. He was definitely a collector at heart.
Word of Steve's percussion collection spread pretty quickly throughout the other players in Philly. One day, Mickey Bookspan of the Philadelphia Orchestra asked Steve if he would rent him a marimba. At that time, there was no one else in the area renting instruments like marimbas, timpani, or taxi horns, so that's how the rental business got started. Steve's retail success started humbly as well. He began by delivering instruments in his 1966 Plymouth (he could fit two timpani in the trunk!). While providing the rental instruments, people started asking Steve if they could buy them from him. With that, Steve Weiss Music was born.
Steve said, “I'm in the business of music and it really is a business of relationships. That's what allows me to be able to provide you with items you will never see in any of your big box chains today. In fact, the majority of people that work at Steve Weiss Music are trained percussionists. That's how much I value relationships and the importance of surrounding myself with people who love percussion as much as I do. Whether it's a rare piece of sheet music, a specialty gong, or your marching band equipment, you know that I'll have it. And you know that my goal is to get it to you for the best price and quicker than anyone else. Enjoy my collection!”
Earl Phillips Big Band
Earl Phillips is active as composer/arranger, educator, and bass trombonist in the greater Philadelphia area. As a composer/arranger, Earl directs and writes for the Earl Phillips Big Band and has led his own 17-piece big band since 2007.
As an educator, Earl is the Professor of Jazz Trombone and a member of the Composition / Arranging faculty at Rowan University. Earl is also the Director of thel Jazz Ensemble, and teaches Music Theory and Music Technology at Cherokee High School. Earl has also directed the Philadelphia Grammy Band (2005-2007), the All South Jersey Jazz Ensemble (2008 &2012), the All Central Jersey Jazz Ensemble (2014) and he has been a clinician/manager with the New Jersey All State Jazz Ensemble (2009-2014). In 2020, through the COVID pandemic, Earl ran 2 All-State Jazz Ensembles to keep region jazz running and, for those efforts, was recognized as the 2020 New Jersey Association of Jazz Education “Teacher of the Year” award.
Earl is a graduate, with honors, of the University of the Arts, holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Bass Trombone Performance (’04), a Masters Degree in Music Education (’05) and a Masters Degree in Jazz Performance / Jazz Composition from Rowan University (’11). Among performances and recording sessions as the leader of the Earl Phillips Big Band, Earl, as a bass trombonist, has shared the stage with Wayne Newton, Patti Austin, Kurt Elling and has also recorded with, most notably, Kid Cudi, Will Smith, Boyz II Men, and John Legend, among others. The John Legend recording (So Amazing: A Tribute to Luther Vandross) won 2 Grammy Awards in 2005.
In his spare time, Earl is also working in the Thad Jones Living Archive, housed at William Patterson University, archiving the original manuscripts of his hero, Thad Jones. Earl’s research and individual study of Thad has also enabled him to be a contributor to the Thad Jones Living Archive. Earl is also a published author having articles printed in the ‘Jazz Education Journal’, and ‘Downbeat Magazine’, as well as a published composer/arranger through Northeastern Music Publications.
Earl Phillips resides in West Deptford, New Jersey with his beautiful wife Jennifer and their three children, Madeline, Zachary, and Luke. For more information, to hear the Earl Phillips Big Band, and/or to reach Earl directly, please use the contact and social media links below.
Earl Phillips Big Band
Tony Miceli
Behn Gilece
Oliver Mayman
Morgan Walbridge
Show times 7:30 & 9:30
General Admission ~ $30 Includes a la carte menu
Dinner & Show ~ $100 Includes 3-course dinner
VIP Dinner & Show ~ $120 Includes dinner above and upgraded stage-front seating
(Beverages not included)
Dinner & Show fees include server gratuities.
Streaming on our YouTube channel: @ChrisJazzCafePhilly
What Steve started over 60 years ago as a simple hobby of collecting unique and rare percussion instruments, has now evolved into being the go-to shop for all of your percussion needs. Steve always wanted to be able to provide you with the best collection of percussion instruments and supplies possible. The legacy that is his company continues that vision today.
From his humble beginnings in and around Philadelphia, Steve developed a passion for music at an early age. Since his first drum lesson when he was 10 years old, he always loved playing. After he finished school, Steve got a job with the Reading Railroad during the day and would play gigs on nights and weekends. The railroad let him travel for free, so he started traveling all around the northeast collecting rare instruments. Steve loved walking into a place like Ted's Music Shop in Baltimore and finding a vintage marimba or timpani. He was definitely a collector at heart.
Word of Steve's percussion collection spread pretty quickly throughout the other players in Philly. One day, Mickey Bookspan of the Philadelphia Orchestra asked Steve if he would rent him a marimba. At that time, there was no one else in the area renting instruments like marimbas, timpani, or taxi horns, so that's how the rental business got started. Steve's retail success started humbly as well. He began by delivering instruments in his 1966 Plymouth (he could fit two timpani in the trunk!). While providing the rental instruments, people started asking Steve if they could buy them from him. With that, Steve Weiss Music was born.
Steve said, “I'm in the business of music and it really is a business of relationships. That's what allows me to be able to provide you with items you will never see in any of your big box chains today. In fact, the majority of people that work at Steve Weiss Music are trained percussionists. That's how much I value relationships and the importance of surrounding myself with people who love percussion as much as I do. Whether it's a rare piece of sheet music, a specialty gong, or your marching band equipment, you know that I'll have it. And you know that my goal is to get it to you for the best price and quicker than anyone else. Enjoy my collection!”
Earl Phillips Big Band