For the Scottish group of musicians, see
The House Band.
Group of musicians who regularly perform at an establishment or on a TV/radio show
A house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play at an establishment.[1]
It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to bands which are the regular performers at a nightclub, especially
jazz and
R&B clubs.[2] The term can also refer to a group that
plays sessions for a specific
recording studio.[2] House bands on television shows usually play only
cover songs instead of originals, and they play during times that commercials would be seen by the home viewing audience. Therefore, only those present in the studio during the show's taping see their full performances.
History
House bands emerged with jazz music in Chicago during the 1920s. The practice of using regular backing musicians during studio sessions became customary as a means for record companies to save money and add convenience at a time when the music industry had seen increased studio costs and musical specialization.[3]
With the advent of television in the 1950s, bands from the
swing era of jazz typically performed on
variety show programs as house bands, starting a television institution that survives to the present. One of the best-remembered, and longest-running, house bands was the
NBC Orchestra of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and his predecessors. Late-night television offered security and survival for the big band, led by trumpeter
Doc Severinsen, while the trends in popular music continually changed around them.[4]Late Night with David Letterman, which began in 1982, featured
Paul Shaffer and
The World's Most Dangerous Band, who, unlike previous house bands, incorporated contemporary
rhythm and blues and
rock music. The band continued that blend with Letterman when he left for CBS to start Late Show in 1993. House bands remain a
late-night talk show fixture, with many of them also serving as
straight men for the host's jokes, musically introducing guests, playing in and out of commercials, composing original pieces of music for
sketches, and backing up musical guests.[5]The Roots became the first
hip hop house band on late-night television when they joined Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in 2009.[6]
Association with record labels and studios
Record labels have often employed a core group of musicians to serve as a house band or house orchestra, specifically for recording sessions. These groups can come to be regarded as an important component of a label's distinctive "sound".[2] This use of house bands, first popularized in the 1920s, was revived during the 1960s, most notably at
Motown and at
Stax Records. Some of these house bands, such as
Booker T. & the M.G.'s (Stax), had parallel careers as main artists in their own right.[4]
The Great White Way Orchestra,[9] Hugo Frey's Orchestra,[9] The Manhattan Merrymakers,[9] Metropolitan Orchestra,[10][11] The Serenaders,[9] The Troubadours,[9] Victor Military Band,[12][13] The Victor Orchestra,[14] The Virginians[9]
^
Dodd, Katie (January–February 2010).
"Music of the Night"(PDF). M Music & Musicians. 1 (1). M Music Media, LLC: 28–32.
ISSN2156-2377. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
^"Victor Orchestra Personnel". The Mainspring Press Record Collectors' Blog. Mainspring Press. Archived from
the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2011.