Ball in the House
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| Ball in the House | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Boston, Massachusetts, USA |
| Genre(s) | vocal pop, R&B |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Members | |
| Jon J. Ryan Dave Guisti Aaron Loveland Dan Szymczak Ryan Chappelle |
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Ball in the House is a five-man vocal pop/R&B band from Boston, Massachusetts performing nationally. They are best known as the group that recorded the Cool Whip jingle.
Originally formed as a quartet by founder and current vocal percussionist Jon J., Ball in the House has gone through numerous phases and changes on its way to becoming one of the best-known and most-loved acts in the a cappella community today.Like many bands, Ball in the House started out part-time, meeting a couple times each week to rehearse and then gigging wherever and whenever they could. Early performances were limited to coffee houses and other similar, small venues; but over time their vocal music reached out to and found Boston audiences. People began to embrace the energy and style of the band.Over the course of that next year, Ball in the House expanded by two more singers, bringing the total to five members. That decision resulted in the single most influential and important development in the history of the band. With the group's larger size, a vocal rhythm section materialized when Jon J. put his singing on hold to begin learning a complex series of vocal percussive beatbox sounds, becoming a "human drum machine" that continues to dumbfound audiences today. The true sounds of Ball in the House were beginning to emerge.Then, in 1997, another pillar of Ball in the Houses unique and incredible sound came into the picture. Jon J., who at one time attended the Boston Boys Choir School, ran into an old friend from those younger days and asked him about joining the band. Dave, fifth grade friend of Jon J. and current tenor, came on board and Ball in the House decided it was time to take their combined talents to the next level and become a professional, full-time band. 1997 and 1998 were highlighted by performances at the Apollo Theater in New York, SUNFEST in West Palm Beach, Florida (opening for Paula Cole), and the winning of the 1998 National Harmony Sweepstakes - New England Region.Sometimes the longer journey is more worth traveling and Ball in the House has certainly traveled far. It has been a bumpy road, at times, for the band. After having stable membership and great success for three years, the tragedy of September 11, 2001 occurred. Shortly thereafter, a few long-time members of BitH made decisions to pursue other interests. Jon J. and Dave remained, still believing in their music and still loving performing together. They intended to rebuild Ball in the House, better than it had ever been before. They succeeded. After exhaustive nationwide auditions, Ball in the House improved exponentially by adding Aaron in early 2002 and then Dan in 2003, shortly thereafter becoming a five-man group. The final piece fell into place when Ryan joined in the spring of 2006. Ball in the House had reinvented itself and transformed into something truly special, onstage and off.From those humble roots - two childhood friends who loved singing and shared a dream to live a life of performance - came what has grown into Ball in the House. Five Guys. five mouths. And a sound unlike anything you've heard before. Ball in the House is dedicated to bringing their distinctive style of pop/Rhythm and Blues to as many people as they can reach, from Boston to L.A., Singapore to New York, and everywhere in between, opening for and performing with acts such as Cher, 98°, Jessica Simpson, Blondie, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, and numerous others. They can even be heard on national TV and radio as the voice behind the commercials for Cool Whip dessert topping.A review from the Boston Globe put it very succinctly - "Ball in the House has everything you would expect to find in a successful pop/rock band....the one thing it doesn't have is instruments."
[edit] Members
- Jon J. Ryan (vocal percussion)
- Dave Guisti (tenor)
- Aaron Loveland (tenor)
- Dan Szymczak (baritone)
- Ryan Chappelle (bass)
[edit] Discography
- From the Bin (1998)
- Ball in the House (2000)
- The Way It Has to Be (2001)
- Think About It (EP, 2004)
- Granite Ave. (2007)
