MUSIC

Starring Ball in the House and featuring Boston Jazz Voices with Special Guests Merrimack College’s own Mackapella!

Ball in the House- Following in the path of classic harmony groups like Boyz II Men, The Temptations, and Take 6, with a mix of classic and the contemporary, the five-member vocal band Ball in the House brilliantly blends a wide range of influences, from classic R&B to pop, hip-hop & gospel. With their extensive tour schedule (averaging 250 dates a year), Ball in the House reaches millions and is arguably one of the hardest working, most successful indie bands today. They have performed with such artists as the Beach Boys, Gladys Knight, The Jonas Brothers, Jessica Simpson, Fantasia, Blondie, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, KC and the Sunshine Band, Kool and the Gang, and numerous others. All a capella, but a sound that will astound and amaze you. 5 Guys, 5 Voices, THAT’S IT….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.”

Boston Jazz Voices-It was almost 25 years ago that the seeds of Boston Jazz Voices were sown by a group of renegade barbershop singers who got together to venture beyond the confines of single-sex four-part harmony. The unique and unmistakable sound of Gene Puerling inspired this mixed group of vocal enthusiasts. Well known for his singing and arranging for the Hi-Lo’s and the Singers Unlimited, Puerling became the raison d’etre for this newly formed group. His arrangements are characterized by complex and unexpected harmonic twists that make even the most familiar tunes sounds new to the ear. Gene Puerling passed away in 2008, but his imprint on vocal jazz lives on. Those who have followed our group over the years will remember us as New England Close Harmony Ensemble, and although we have become Boston Jazz Voices, our dedication to complex harmony has not changed. What Boston Jazz Voice offers is a unique combination of those classic sounds plus contemporary vocal jazz idiom. Our membership consists of talented musicians from all backgrounds and age groups, and yet we are all dedicated to the same mission: to perfect the vocal jazz ensemble, and to capture the spirits of those who hear us. We share a love for the same ensemble vocal jazz singing that our predecessors dreamed about.