The House Jacks Explained

The House Jacks
Landscape:yes
Origin:San Francisco, United States
Genre:A cappella, vocal jazz, pop
Label:Tommy Boy, Warner Brothers, Artelier, Hot Lips, A Cappella Records,[1]
Years Active:1991–present
Current Members:Nick Girard
Austin Willacy
Mark Joseph
John Pointer
Gregory Fletcher
Past Members:Matt Sallee
Deke Sharon
Tristan Bishop
Rob Penn
Marty Mahoney
Andrew Chaikin
Kevin Fudge
Garth Kravits
Bert Bacco
Wes Carroll
Antonio Medrano
Elliott Robinson
Jake Moulton
Roopak Ahuja
Troy Horne

The House Jacks is a professional a cappella quintet from San Francisco, founded in 1991 by Deke Sharon.[2]

The House Jacks describe themselves as a "rock band without instruments",[3] their live shows typically include not only singing but also vocally imitating instruments such as trumpets, guitars, harmonicas and strings[4] as well as taking audience-requests for songs and rendering them in musical styles unlike the original versions.[5]

The group primarily performs original material (unlike most contemporary a cappella groups who focus on cover songs) and is considered the first professional a cappella group to have a dedicated vocal percussionist.[6]

The group routinely tours the United States, Europe and Asia,[7] has recorded numerous jingles[8] and has garnered numerous recording and community awards (see below). The group was signed to Tommy Boy records (then a part of Warner Brothers) from 1994-1997, and Artilier Records (Germany) from 2000-2005.

They can be heard in the background music on NBC's The Sing-Off in the opening video, commercial transitions and elimination sequences.[9] They have also created comedic bits and jingles for the radio personalities Mancow Muller and Rick Dees.

The group performed at the 53rd Monterey Jazz Festival on September 17, 2010.[10] and have performed on stages from Carnegie Hall to the Gewandhaus.

They performed the Monday Night Football Theme "Are You Ready For Some Football" with Hank Williams, Jr. for the 2011 season.[11]

Rolling Stone wrote about their inclusion in Ford automobiles, demoing the twelve speaker Sony sound system [12]

Their version of "Since U Been Gone" was adapted for the audition scene in Pitch Perfect (Deke Sharon was on site music director, arranger and vocal producer for the film, as well as "Male Voice #1")

Member changes

The original group of seven members met while singing in collegiate groups on the East Coast (Tufts Beelzebubs, Brown Jabberwocks, UNC Clef Hangers, The Dartmouth Aires) and relocated to San Francisco to begin the group in September 1991.[13] Past members include Kid Beyond, Rob Penn, Garth Kravits, Bert Bacco, Wes Carroll, and Antonio Medrano.

Band Lineups

Present

2015-2017

2012-2015

2010-2012

2008-2010

2006-2008

1998-2006

1993-1998

1992-1993

1991-1992

Discography

Date Title Notes
1994 Naked Noise Ten tracks, debut album of original songs.
1997 Funkwich Twelve tracks, original songs.
2001 Drive Seventeen tracks, live album of original songs recording during European tour.
2003 Unbroken Ten tracks of original material modeled after Queen's A Night at the Opera[14]
2005 Fitchy & Grikko Twelve tracks, original songs.
2006 Get Down Mr. President! Fifteen tracks, live album of original songs and covers.
2009 Good Things Nineteen tracks, "best-of" album featuring tracks from their previous six studio albums.
2010 Level Twelve tracks of original material.
2012 Blackjack Twenty one tracks of unreleased original material (album cuts, demos, jingles, sound cues for The Sing Off, etc).
2014 Pollen Ten tracks of original material, each with a guest a cappella group from different countries around the world

Awards

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The House Jacks - A Cappella Records . A Cappella Records . 2012-04-16.
  2. Web site: The House Jacks return . TheUnion.com . 2011-05-19 . 2012-01-25.
  3. Web site: Malkoff. Amy. Multimedia Review: The House Jacks, 7/1/09. CASA News Feed. CASA. 8 April 2011.
  4. Web site: Heavrin. Edward. House Jacks jams with student body. The Horizon Online. IU Horizon. 8 April 2011.
  5. Web site: Thomas. Melinda. Concert Review: The House Jacks At The Grass Valley Center For The Arts, 4.30.10. CASA News Feed. CASA.org. 8 April 2011.
  6. Web site: A Century of A Cappella. Learn About A Cappella. www.a-cappella.com. 8 April 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111126001531/http://www.a-cappella.com/category/century_of_acappella. 26 November 2011.
  7. Web site: Tour » House Jacks | Music Without Instruments . House Jacks . 2012-01-21 . 2012-01-25.
  8. Web site: House Jacks Play Girl Scout Benefit in Wheeling - OV Parent - Ohio Valley's parenting site . ovparent.com . 2011-04-29 . 2012-01-25.
  9. Web site: Sing-Off » House Jacks | Music Without Instruments . House Jacks . 2012-01-25.
  10. Web site: Gustas. Nicole. The House Jacks at the Monterey Jazz Festival. www.blogmonterey.com. 8 April 2011.
  11. Web site: MNF « ESPN Front Row . . 2012-01-25.
  12. Web site: Scott Steinberg . House Jacks Pair with Sony for New Soundtrack | Scott Steinberg . https://web.archive.org/web/20120113071214/http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/blogs/gear-up/house-jacks-pair-with-sony-for-new-soundtrack-20120109 . dead . January 13, 2012 . Rolling Stone . 2012-01-28.
  13. Web site: Contemporary A Cappella Group: House Jacks . Singers.com . 2012-01-25.
  14. Episode 10: Bill Hare Mixes it Up . Counterpoint with Deke and Dietz . Deke Sharon and Rob Dietz . 23 May 2019 . 11 January 2020.
  15. Web site: A CAPPELLA ALMANAC - 2004 CARA Awards . Ae-vocal.com . 2012-01-25.
  16. Web site: 2007 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Winners | A Cappella Music - The Contemporary A Cappella Society . Casa.org . 2012-01-25.
  17. Web site: 2011 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Winners | A Cappella Music - The Contemporary A Cappella Society . Casa.org . 2011-03-19 . 2012-01-25.
  18. Web site: 2015 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Winners A Cappella Music - The Contemporary A Cappella Society . www.casa.org . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150415012204/http://www.casa.org/cara2015w . 2015-04-15.
  19. Web site: 2010 A Cappella Community Awards Winners | A Cappella Music - The Contemporary A Cappella Society . Casa.org . 2010-05-16 . 2012-01-25.
  20. Web site: 2011 A Cappella Community Awards Winners | A Cappella Music - The Contemporary A Cappella Society . Casa.org . 2011-05-16 . 2012-01-25.

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