About TJP
(formerly The Jost Project)

TJP is a band of highly acclaimed jazz artists who are devoted to reaching new audiences for jazz with innovative arrangements of music by such artists as The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Blind Faith and many others. A Philadelphia-based band that performs worldwide, they are made up of internationally renowned vibraphonist Tony Miceli, vocalist/arranger/harmonicist Paul Jost, bassist Kevin MacConnell and drummer Doug Hirlinger. They are honored to have been recognized in December 2017 as the Best in Jazz in Philadelphia by City Councilman David Oh and his PHL Live Center Stage Awards.
TJP’s new CD is called “Peace and Love” with guest saxophonist Joel Frahm. It includes such songs as “America” by Simon & Garfunkel, “Put a Little Love in Your Heart”, “Get Together”, “America the Beautiful” and many others. A chorus of children from Philadelphia Performing Arts, a String Theory Charter School join them on “Get Together.” Their CD “Can’t Find My Way Home” (Dot Time Records) is played regularly on Sirius XM radio and has audiences raving about their unexpected interpretations of this music. They are reaching into the “baby boomer” and subsequent generations who came of age with rock and roll, the Beatles, hard rock, and other genres which are rarely played by jazz groups. Their songs on this CD range from “Walk This Way, Kashmir, Maybe I’m Amazed, In a Gadda DaVida” to “Shenandoah” and many others. In Jazz in Europe, Johan van Deeg wrote, “The Jost Project is without a doubt one of the most creative bands I have ever heard,” and Grace Blake, Artist Relations Manager of Iridium, said “They totally blew me away!”
Bios

Tony Miceli
Vibraphonist Tony Miceli has been compared to such legendary players as Milt Jackson and Gary Burton. For the last 30 years, he has performed and taught all over the world, in countless concert halls, festivals, jazz clubs, colleges, schools and even prisons. He was recently featured in a new book called Masters of the Vibes with interviews of the top vibraphonists in the world. As a group leader, sideman, and recording artist, he has performed with numerous top musicians including David Liebman, Jimmy Bruno, Ken Peplowski, John Blake, Joel Frahm, Peter Bernstein, Michel Feinstein, Diane Monroe, John Swana, Joe Magnarelli, Steve Slagle, Larry McKenna, and many others. He is endorsed by Malletech Instruments, Mike Balter Mallets, Alternate Mode and Beiner Bags. He also runs http://www.vibesworkshop.com which is an instructional site for the vibraphone with over 5,000 members.

Paul Jost
Paul Jost is a unique vocalist and arranger most often described by critics and contemporaries as a storyteller and one of the best male jazz vocalists to come along since Mark Murphy. Paul is making his mark in New York with an ongoing residency at the internationally acclaimed jazz club 55 Bar and a two-month stint at SMOKE performing with Orrin Evans earlier last year. He has performed throughout Germany, Ireland and South Korea and was recently showcased in the feature “Finding Your Voice” on the PBS broadcast series, “Friday Arts”. Paul’s eclectic CD, aptly titled “Breaking Through” (Dot Time Records), continues to receive rave reviews and includes his original “Book Faded Brown” previously recorded by The Band, Rick Danko and Carl Perkins. After hearing the CD, music critic Peter McLaren wrote in Jazz in Europe, Paul … “is a force to be reckoned with and an artist that deserves to be seen on all great festival stages worldwide”. He has two other recent CD’s with The Jost Project (TJP). “Can’t Find My Way Home” (Dot Time Records) and the current CD “Peace and Love”. Raul Da Gama writes, “Although his is a short history, in just three albums he has already made his mark among the elite of his art.” Paul can be heard on SiriusXM Radio. Please visit http://www.pauljostmusic.com for more information.

Kevin MacConnell
Living in the Philadelphia area since 1982, bassist Kevin MacConnell has enjoyed a busy and varied musical career. He has performed with jazz greats, Mel Torme, Nancy Wilson, Billy Eckstine and Joe Williams, as well as other international performers such as Diahann Carroll, and opera diva, Denyce Graves; to name a few. He has performed and recorded with tenor saxophonist, Ernie Watts and Phila. jazz legend Larry McKenna and tours throughout the U.S. regularly with a classical/bluegrass hybrid the ‘Depue Brothers Band’. Kevin frequently performs as a member of the orchestra of major Broadway show tours.

John Swana
John Swana is a highly respected musician who began his career in his hometown of Philadelphia in local clubs. He played in Big Bands, organ combos and with jazz musicians. He has worked with musicians including Ralph Bowen, Orrin Evans, Charles Fambrough, Herwig Gradischnig, Jimmy Greene, J. D. Walter, Joel Weiskopf, and Bobby Zankel. He has an impressive discography. A Jazz-Trumpeter and Flügelhornist, after he was treated for a benign tumor, he was forced to play an alternative instrument to continue his music profession. It’s the valve trombone and Electronic Valve Instrument called the EVI. The unique sound of this instrument makes him a standout wherever he plays.

Matt Scarano
Matt Scarano, originally from Wilmington, DE, is a graduate of Temple University with a B.A. in Jazz Performance. Since graduating in 2007, he has established himself as one of the Philadelphia region’s finest drummers. Matt has performed extensively throughout the country with many of the area’s top musicians both as a leader and sideman, including Chris Brubeck, Time For Three, Johnny Neel (Allman Brothers, Gov’t Mule), Ben Schachter, Terrell Stafford, George Garzone, Dick Oatts, John Swana, Sid Simmons, Mike Boone, and Ranaan Meyer. Most recently in March 2010 he performed the world premiere of Chris Brubeck’s “Travels in Time For Three” with Time for Three and the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra. The concerto will be performed throughout 2010 and 2011 with several other orchestras including The Boston Pops. In March 2009 he performed at Carnegie Hall with Ranaan Meyer and The Philadelphia Boys Choir. As a member of the Temple University Big Band Matt shared the stage with jazz legends Jimmy Heath, Slide Hampton, and Joe Wilder. He is currently playing/touring with Time For Three (tf3.com), Pepi Ginsberg (pepiginsberg.com), Gillian Grassie (gilliangrassie.com), Josh Olmstead (josholmstead.com), Up The Chain (upthechain.com), Don McCloskey (enormousd.com), Ranaan Meyer, and his original band Gunshow.

http://www.thejostproject.com/

TJP promo videos