Take 6

It can reasonably be argued that, in the wake of their stunning 1988 debut, Take 6 was primarily responsible for the revival of interest in a cappella music that carried through into the nineties and beyond. Coming out of nowhere, these six young men not only created complex, soulful jazz vocalizations, but they put those songs into a distinctly spiritual lyrical framework, combining originals with Gospel standards in a way that no jazz or Christian music audience had ever heard before.

If the career of Take 6 is destined to go full-circle, then their new album, The Standard, is at the 180 degree point – this is a project that is not about performing a cappella as much as it is about being a world-class jazz vocal group. Musical instruments are no longer verboten on Take 6 albums: hence the presence of guest instrumentalists on many of the tracks. What is more of a surprise is the presence of several guest vocal performances on five of the thirteen tracks on this project (six, if you count Ella Fitzgerald – more on that later…). As with the debut album, there are mostly established standards here, but with the exception of “Shall We Gather at the River,” they are jazz standards: the sole original, “Back to You,” by Claude McKnight and Victoria Venier, will be the favorite of those who want to hear Take 6 creating their own special brand of original ‘Christian’ music, but this is distinctly a jazz album with a minimum of Christian lyrical content.

As you would expect on any Take 6 project, the vocals are stunning. Claude McKnight, Mark Kibble, David Thomas, Joey Kibble, Cedric Dent and Alvin Chea have a vocal blend and mastery that few, if any, vocal groups have ever come even close to. Always a jazz group at heart, this is the first time that Take 6 has tapped into songs that have already been established as jazz classics: the challenge here is for the group to put a unique spin on songs that were born as jazz compositions, as opposed to being transformed into jazz arrangements by McKnight, Thomas, Dent, Chea, and the Kibbles. The Standard is another triumph for Take 6.

The Take 6 acappella magic starts off with the familiar whistling and finger snapping accompaniment to “Sweet Georgia Brown,” an entry-level tidbit preparing us for the more challenging tracks to come. From the cool jazz of “Straighten Up and Fly Right,” to the smooth Brazilian sound of “Windmills of Your Mind,” to the iconic “A Tisket A Tasket,” to the hard-core jazz of Miles Davis’ “Seven Steps to Heaven,” Take 6 presents a travelogue of jazz styles tied together by the common thread of their exquisite vocal arrangements.

The inclusion of guest vocalists on this project will thrill some people and disappoint others for whom this group’s six magnificent voices, after all, are what brought them to the party. For those people, “Windmills of Your Mind” and the stunningly beautiful “Shall We Gather at the River” will bring the goose-bump factor. On the other hand, “Someone to Watch Over Me” puts Take 6 in the role of supporting players as Shelea Frazier and a full band dominate this song, which is so full of potential as an acappella piece. Al Jarreau adds his trademark rapid-fire vocalizing to the amazing “Seven Steps to Heaven,” which also features Till Brönner’s incredibly deft flügelhorn work. With Aaron Neville singing lead on “Do You Know What it Means To Miss New Orleans,” calling it a Take 6 track becomes academic. In a perfect balance, however, is Take 6 with Ella Fitzgerald (a sample, of course) re-creating “A Tisket A Tasket,” a memorable highlight, indeed.

This is somewhat of a departure from formula for the premier vocal group of our day, but any time Take 6 releases a project, it’s an event – they are, after all The Standard, when it comes to doing what they do.

…and what they do is create great music.

Tagged as: Take 6, The Standard

Does it Resonate with you?

Name (required)

Email (will not be published) (required)

URL