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The Essentials are:
Thom Speck (baritone / tenor)
Joon Nah (baritone / falsetto virtuoso)
Joe Oliva (bass)
Dan Speck (tenorlicious)
The Essentials are a Toronto-based acappella group that has moved from their beginnings in London, Ontario to international acclaim as "one of the finest a cappella groups in the world".
Their unique arrangements of songs from the 50's to present day have won the respect of fans everywhere.
Their busy touring schedule has taken them to hundreds of cities in North America and Europe including Vancouver, Winnipeg, San Francisco, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and New York. Their trip across the Atlantic saw them performing for thousands of enthusiastic listeners throughout Great Britain. They have performed with some of the most respected names in the entertainment industry including Little Richard, The Platters and Burton Cummings.
Their first two CDs have helped to spread the word of their talent around the world having sold thousands to fans on every continent. In collaboration with legendary music producer, Jack Richardson, The Essentials' first CD, "Oh What A Night!" took no time at all to reach the top of the indie charts and created a huge demand for a follow up album. The result was a second CD "The Essentials ...And Then Some" which garnered the group a host of glowing reviews and several prestigious industry nominations.
With two consecutive home runs, the group decided to try a little twist. They recorded a live show in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario and the result was their third album Bare.
In 2000, The Essentials were cast along with Paula MacNeill in the CBS movie A Holiday Romance (alternate title: A Song For The Season), starring Andy Griffith, Naomi Judd, and Gerald McRaney. More recently, they were cast in a national ad campaign for Bell XpressVu, which featured them singing the Canadian National Anthem. This sparked several invitations from both the Toronto Raptors as well as the Toronto Maple Leafs to sing both the U.S. and Canadian anthems at their home games.
In 2007, The Essentials began recording what fans for years have been asking for: a Christmas CD!
The Christmas CD is set for release in November 2008, however, The Essentials took 3 completed tracks and released them in November 2007 under the title Stocking Stuffer. In December 2007, Stocking Stuffer was certified gold in Canada.
Hot on the trail of their November 2008 Christmas CD will be the release of a yet untitled CD that will feature mainly original material. "We may want to make the next album more radio-friendly by adding light, tasteful instrumentation", said tenor Dan Speck. Joon Nah added, "But we won't stray too far from what got us here: strong, thick and unique vocal harmonies with memorable melodies". Thom Speck and Joe Oliva were sitting silently through this exciting exchange of words between their bandmates.
When not in the recording studio, The Essentials will continue to perform and sell out shows across North America. With the support of those who know them already, and the enthusiasm of the thousands who will discover them this year, The Essentials will continue to enjoy what they do like no other group . . . sing!
Quick Essentials Facts
- Essential Recordings:
- Oh What A Night! (1994)
- ...And Then Some (1996)
- Bare (1999)
- Stocking Stuffer (2007, certified gold)
- Untitled Christmas CD (2008)
- Untitled CD In Progress (2009)
- Compilation Recordings:
- When The Lights Come On At Christmas (1997)
- Scenes From A Dream (2000)
- Come Together: An A Cappella Tribute to the Beatles (2001)
- Part of a national ad campaign for Bell XpressVu
- Principal role in CBS Movie A Holiday Romance Starring Andy Griffith, Naomi Judd and Gerald McRaney
- National Anthem performances at the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and Toronto Blue Jays games at both the Skydome and Air Canada Centre
- Sold over 50,000 copies of their CDs
- Teamed up with legendary record producer Jack Richardson (Guess Who, Alice Cooper, Bob Seger)
- Sold out performances worldwide
- Shared stage or opening acts for: Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, The Platters, Little Richard, Burton Cummings, Holly Cole, The Persuasions.
PRESS PHOTO - Click here
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What is acappella?
Meaning "in the chapel style" in Italian, acappella music is singing without instrumental accompaniment. Occasionally, percussion is used to enhance the sound.
How come you guys don't put the space in the phrase 'a cappella'?
We prefer to spell it acappella even though we know it's technically wrong.
When you put the space in there about 1% of the population get confused and say stuff like "a cappella group" as if they're saying "a rock band". Then they ask us what kind of music "cappella" is.
When we explain that it's "acappella" and not "cappella", they usually make some joke asking us if we learned to sing "acappella in Acapulco". Again, this is just about 1% of the population but enough to drive us to surrender to slight grammatical imperfections on our website.
How do I start my own acappella group?
You don't start your own. You just listen to our group, and you like it. When the album is finished, you start it over again and keep listening.
We like to be the only ones singing this style of music and getting all of the gigs, so don't even try to start another group. (Yes, we're joking.)
How and when did the group get started?
Back in 1989 while in high school, Joon Nah and Joe Oliva started a group that ended up morphing into The Essentials by 1992.
Dan Speck joined in 1996.
Thom Speck was touring with a now defunct Saskatchewan-based acappella group called Streetnix and joined a few years ago.
Are Dan Speck and Thom Speck brothers?
We are all brothers of sorts, but Dan and Thom have the same parents, so they're the original kind of brothers. And, if you're curious, Dan is older but Thom claims to be wiser.
What happened to that guy that used to be in The Essentials?
The Essentials have been around for a long time . . . since our high school days! So, we have had a few members leave the band over time.
• JIMMY KOUMANIS ('92-'95)
Jimmy sang on the album Oh What A Night!. His stage gag of becoming a gynecologist almost came true. He's now a plastic surgeon living in Albany, New York with his wife Nathalie and two dozen kids.
• ROB SYLVESTER ('92-'98)
Rob was a member through two albums Oh What A Night! and …And Then Some. Rob decided that he was sick of Canadian winters and moved to the southern U.S. Now, with global warming, Rob complains that it's too hot down there. Rob is an I.T. guy and lives in Georgia with his wife Shannon and newborn son.
• BOB VAN GIESON ('92-'05)
Bob was a member of The Essentials through three albums Oh What A Night!, …And Then Some and Bare. Bob decided that he had enough of being on the road. He now works for Xerox Canada and golfs a lot. Bob still enjoys bringing smiles to people's faces by performing as a clown at local birthday parties.
• PHIL PAPADOPOULOS ('95-'96)
After leaving The Essentials, Phil started a rock band called Never Seems Happy located in London, Ontario. We don't know if he's married or not, but judging by his band name, we're guessing that he at least has a girlfriend.
• MIKE FERFOLIA ('05-'06)
Mike is still very much Mike and decided that a solo career was more his style after being with group for a short while. He can be found playing at several clubs in downtown Toronto and still does a wicked Prince routine, dance moves and all.
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