Maryland-based Wheelhouse are relatively new to the barbershop scene, forming in January of 2002, but all of the members have deep roots in barbershop, as well as a cappella in general- Bass Mike Kelly, for instance, sings with a cappella jazz quintet "High Five," and Tenor Brandon has another a cappella quartet, "Crossroads." That feeling, that ring, that magical place where 4 voices become one, and the intensity of sound becomes greater than the sum of its parts-that's what these guys love, and from this strong, confident debut CD, and from their 8th place finish in the 2004 International Finals, it's what's lifting them steadily to the ranks of SPEBSQSA's elite. 14 classics, "Anytime," "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," "There Goes My Heart," "How High the Moon," "All Alone," "The Old Folks at Home," "You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You" and "When I Leave the World Behind"-we've heard them all before, but never quite like this. In baseball, your "wheelhouse" means a pitch is right where you like it, where you can just nail it, like Wheelhouse nails these tunes. Watch out for these guys! |