JackMouse

PIANO Dan Haerle Trio, Jack Reilly Trio,  Stan Kenton, James Williams, Dr Billy Taylor, Jay McShann, Joanne Brackeen, Pat Coil, Frank Mantooth, Matt Harris, Dave McKenna, Mike Wofford, Willie Pickens, Butch Nordal, John Campbell, Oliver Jones, Fred Simon, Pete Malinverni, Steffan Karlsson, Larry Novak, Jodie Christian​ BASS Chuck Israels, Steve Rodby, Rufus Reid, Marc Johnson, Jack Six, Bob Bowman, Larry Gray, Jay Anderson, Brian Torff, Todd Coolman, Jim Atlas, Bill Harrison, Kelly Sill, Rich Ambler, Eddie DeHaas, Maryann McSweeney, Marlene Rosenberg, Rob Amster  VOICE Janice Borla Group, Joe Williams, Dianne Reeves, Sheila Jordan, Jay Clayton, Judy Niemack, Karrin Allyson, Madeline Eastman, Peter Eldridge, Roseanna Vitro, Cathy Segal-Garcia, Janet Lawson, 
Kitty Margolis, Suzanne Pittson, Judi Silvano, Rosana Eckert, Kevin Mahogany, The Four Freshmen, Louise Tobin, Bob Crosby, Tony Martin, Ray EberleARRANGER/COMPOSERSammy Nestico, Frank Salisbury

The Jack Mouse Group’s 2012 CD Range of Motion (reissued on Tall Grass Records), featuring his original compositions, includes Art Davis (trumpet), Scott Robinson (saxophone), John McLean (guitar), Bob Bowman and Kelly Sill (bass). The album received extensive international radio airplay, including 5 weeks
on the Jazz Week Top 50 Chart and 9 weeks on the CMJ Top 40 Chart, and garnered many rave reviews: “A sure-handed, high energy drummer who dazzles
with brushes. A splendid album, well-written and quarterbacked by Mouse…Thumbs up!” -- All About Jazz


Jack’s 2015 release Snakeheads & Ladybugs is a CD of freely improvised duets with multi-instrumentalist Scott Robinson. It was released on the Tall Grass Records label established by Jack and his wife, jazz vocalist Janice Borla. His 2016 CD Three Story Sandbox (Tall Grass), a recording of free improvisations

with Robinson and Borla, was selected as an "Editor's Pick" by DownBeat Magazine. His 2019 release Intimate Adversary (Tall Grass), another collection of original compositions, continues to garner wide critical acclaim.


​A longstanding member of the Janice Borla Group, Jack can be heard on Whatever We Imagine (Sea Breeze, reissued on P-Vine Records, Japan),

Lunar Octave (DMP), Agents of Change, and From Every Angle (BluJazz) named among DownBeat‘s “Best CDs of 2007,” and Promises to Burn (Tall Grass) among DownBeat‘s “Best CDs of 2014.” Also a member of the Dan Haerle Trio, he is heard on Truth of the Matter (Seagull) and Standard Procedure (Blujazz), one of DownBeat’s “Best CDs of 2005.” 

Jack is a staff artist/clinician for Yamaha Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Aquarian Drum Heads, and Vic Firth Drum Sticks.  In 1995 Yamaha custom-built a 16" Maple Custom Series bass drum for him to his specifications.  Then in 2017 Yamaha graciously agreed to custom build a complete set of Phoenix Series drums,

including a 16" bass drum, again to his specifications (see Gear Page for details).

Jack's multi-faceted career has been the subject of interviews in Modern Drummer and Jazz Improv magazines.  He has published articles in Percussive Notes and IAJE-Illinois Newsletter.  In 2012, he was the recipient of an Aquarian Award of Achievement, presented by Aquarian Drum Heads in acknowledgment

of his contributions as a performer and jazz educator.  In 2018 he was inducted into the Emporia High School Hall of Fame, along with his mentor and longtime friend, drummer Roy Burns.  

Associate Professor of Music and Coordinator of Jazz Studies at North Central College since 1996, Jack has also served on the faculties of the American Conservatory of Music, Benedictine University, Saskatchewan School of the Arts, Clark Terry Great Plains Jazz Camp, National Stage Band Camps, Jamey Aebersold Combo-Improvisation Camps, Janice Borla Vocal Jazz Camp, Birch Creek Music Performance Center, International Peace Gardens and Melville

Jazz Retreat.  He has presented clinics and workshops at jazz festivals, music conventions, colleges and high schools throughout the world. As a member of the Bunky Green Quartet, he was among the first musicians to introduce jazz education at the Montreux Jazz Festival.

In 2017 Jack and Janice launched Flashpoint Creative Arts, a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the practice of improvisation as an essential

life skill.  In 2019 they were made Paul Harris Fellows by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International in recognition of Flashpoint's work with young people with autism spectrum disorder. In 2020 Jack and Janice served as artistic directors of Rotary's Jazz Quilt online fundraiser.

Jazz drummer Jack Mouse began playing at the early age of four, and by his late teens was already performing with such musical greats as Tex Beneke, Ralph Flanagan, Buddy Morrow, Ray McKinley, 
Bob Crosby, Sammy Kaye, Ray Eberle, Les Elgart, Lee Castle, "Peanuts" Hucko and Red Norvo. Upon graduating from college, he spent three years as featured soloist with the “Falconaires,“ the official jazz ensemble of the U.S. Air Force Academy.


He has since performed with a host of outstanding jazz artists:


REEDS Bunky Green Quartet, James Moody, Frank Wess, Bob Mintzer, Lou Marini, John LaPorta,

Scott Robinson, Tim Ries, Gary Bartz, Bill Evans (saxophone), Michael "Peanuts" Hucko, Roger Pemberton Big Band, Chris Woods, Ed Petersen, Dave Tofani, Ron Blake, Claire Daly, Andrew White, Bill Sears, Howie Smith, Norris Turney, Holly Hoffman (flute), Jamey Aebersold, Von Freeman, Tom Boras, Dave Gross, Mark Kirk, Eric Schneider, Richie Fudoli, Joe Daley, Mitch Paliga, Mark Colby, Son Seals  TRUMPET Clark Terry Quintet, Randy Brecker, Tom Harrell, Jon Faddis, Bobby Shew, Buddy Childers, Doc Severinsen, Wayne Bergeron, Michael Mossman, Bill Stapleton, Floyd Standifer, Art Davis, Mike Steinel's Chicago Jazz Quintet, Art Hoyle, Jay Sollenberger, Mark Olsen, Don Hahn, Gary Slavo, Larry Ford, Willie Thomas, Alan Ware, Bobby Harriott, Lee Castle, Ken Ferrantino, Vern Rowe, Danny Barber  TROMBONE Carl Fontana,

Kai Winding, Buddy Morrow, Phil Wilson, Murray McEachern, Dick Nash, Buster Cooper, John Fedchock,

Rich Matteson, Ashley Alexander, Buddy Baker, TS Galloway, Bob Stroup, Steve Wiest, Bill Porter, Dave Glenn, Tim Coffman, Matteson/Phillips TubaJazz Consort  VIOLIN Claude "Fiddler" Williams,

Johnny Frigo, David Baker (cello)  VIBRAPHONE Red Norvo, Brad Stirtz, Ted Piltzecker, Kent Wehman  ​GUITAR Herb Ellis, Kenny Burrell, Johnny Smith, Mundell Lowe, Jack Petersen, Fareed Haque, Bobby Broom, John McLean, Jerry Hahn Trio, Ted Dunbar, Rick Peckham, Freddie Rundquist, Milt Norman,

Joshua Breakstone, Steve Erquiaga, Danny Embrey, Jeanfrancois Prins, John Moulder, Scott Hesse,

Zvonimir Tot, Randy Napoleon, Frank Dawson, Tom Bruner

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