Take 6

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Take 6
Take 6 performs at the White House.jpg
Take 6 performs for U.S. President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush during a Black Music Month celebration at the White House in 2001
Background information
Origin Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.
Genres
Instrument(s) Voice (vocal bass, vocal percussion, mouth trumpet)
Years active1980–present
Labels
Members
  • Alvin Chea
  • Khristian Dentley
  • Joey Kibble
  • Mark Kibble
  • Claude V. McKnight III
  • David Thomas
Past members
Website www.take6.com

Take 6 is an American a cappella gospel sextet formed in 1980 on the campus of Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. [1] The group integrates jazz with spiritual and inspirational lyrics. Take 6 has received several Grammy Awards as well as Dove Awards, a Soul Train Award and nominations for the NAACP Image Award.

Contents

The band has worked with Ray Charles, Nnenna Freelon, Gordon Goodwin, Don Henley, Whitney Houston, Al Jarreau, Quincy Jones, k.d. lang, Queen Latifah, The Manhattan Transfer, Johnny Mathis, Brian McKnight, Luis Miguel, Marcus Miller, Joe Sample, Ben Tankard, Randy Travis, CeCe Winans, Stevie Wonder and Jacob Collier. All original members grew up in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. [1]

Biography

Oakwood College years

In 1980, Claude McKnight, older brother of R&B musician Brian McKnight, formed an a cappella quartet, The Gentlemen's Estates Quartet, at Oakwood College (now Oakwood University), a Seventh-day Adventist university in Huntsville, Alabama, where he was a freshman. He auditioned students for the group. While rehearsing in a campus bathroom to prepare for a performance, Mark Kibble heard them singing. He joined the harmonizing, adding a fifth part with them onstage that night. [2] Kibble invited Mervyn Warren to join the group, which performed under the name Alliance. [3] Alliance performed in local churches and on campus with a changing roster of members. In 1985, the lower half of the group (bass, baritone, and second tenor) left after graduating. Alvin Chea, Cedric Dent, and David Thomas joined. [3]

Career

The band signed a contract with Warner Alliance [4] in 1987 and changed its name to Take 6 after a search revealed the name "Alliance" was in use. Their self-titled debut album (1988) won Grammy Awards in the gospel and jazz categories [3] and three Dove Awards. They contributed to the film Do the Right Thing and sang on the album Back on the Block by Quincy Jones. They also appeared on Sesame Street and Spike Lee & Company: Do It a Cappella . The band's second album, So Much 2 Say (1990) [3] appeared on the gospel, jazz, and R&B charts of Billboard magazine. The band then signed with Reprise. [4] In 1991, after the release of So Much 2 Say, Mervyn Warren left the group to pursue a career as a record producer and was replaced by Joey Kibble, Mark Kibble's younger brother. The group added instrumentation to their a cappella sound on the album He Is Christmas. [3]

In 2006, the group started the label Take 6 Records; Feels Good, the first album on their new label, was released the same year. In 2007, they recorded with Eros Ramazzotti for his album E² . A year later Take 6 released The Standard, which ventured into more traditional jazz territory.

Believe (Sono, 2016), produced by Claude Villani and Ross Vannelli, charted in six categories on Billboard in its first two weeks of release. [5] Iconic (Sono, 2018), produced and arranged by the band, was its first album to chart at No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart.[ citation needed ] The first single was a cover version of "Change the World" by Eric Clapton and debuted on the Contemporary Jazz Song chart in the top 30. The second single, "Sailing", is a cover of the Christopher Cross classic.

Members

Members of Take 6 after performance with guest Vladimir Aleksandrovich Savenok at the 2013 NAMM Show in California Vladimir Aleksandrovich Savenok with Take 6 members at NAMM 2013 Show in California copy 2.jpg
Members of Take 6 after performance with guest Vladimir Aleksandrovich Savenok at the 2013 NAMM Show in California

Current members

Former members

Discography

Albums

YearAlbumUSUS
R&B		US
Gospel		US
Jazz		LabelCertification(s)
1988 Take 6 714138 Warner Alliance US: Platinum
1990 So Much 2 Say 722282Warner Alliance
1991 He Is Christmas 10084—— Reprise
1994 Join the Band 861717—RepriseUS: Gold
1996 Brothers —71——Reprise
1998 So Cool —928—Reprise
1999We Wish You a Merry Christmas————Reprise
2002Beautiful World——14— Warner Bros.
2006 Feels Good ——10—Take 6 Records
2008 The Standard ——62 Heads Up
2010 The Most Wonderful Time of the Year —70—40
2012One——15— Shanachie
2016Believe—2592Sono
2018Iconic—9—1
"—" denotes that a release did not chart

Live albums

YearAlbumUSUS
R&B		US
Gospel		US
Jazz		LabelCertification(s)
2000Tonight: Live ————Reprise

Singles

Video releases

YearTitleLabelNotes
1992All AccessWarner RepriseVHS
2009 Michael McDonald – A Tribute to Motown [Live]E1 EntertainmentGuest

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

YearCategoryTitleResult
1989Best New Artist—Nominated
1989Best Soul Gospel Performance – Duo, Group, Choir or ChorusTake 6Won
1989Best Jazz Vocal Performance – Duo or Group"Spread Love"Won
1990Best Gospel Performance – Duo, Group, Choir or Chorus"The Savior Is Waiting"Won
1990Best Jazz Vocal Performance – Duo or Group"Like the Whole World's Watching"Nominated
1991Best Contemporary Soul Gospel AlbumSo Much 2 SayWon
1992Best Jazz Vocal PerformanceHe Is ChristmasWon
1993Best Jazz Vocal Performance"I'm Always Chasing Rainbows"Nominated
1995Best Contemporary Soul Gospel AlbumJoin the BandWon
1995Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance - Duo or Group"Biggest Part of Me"Nominated
1996Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance - Duo or Group"All I Need (Is a Chance)"Nominated
1997Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals"When You Wish upon a Star"Nominated
1997Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocal(s)"When You Wish Upon a Star"Nominated
1998Best Contemporary Soul Gospel AlbumBrothersWon
1998Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals"You Don't Have to Be Afraid"Nominated
2000Best Contemporary Soul Gospel AlbumSo CoolNominated
2003Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals"Love's in Need of Love Today" (with Stevie Wonder)Won
2005Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals"Moon River" (with Stevie Wonder)Nominated
2009Best Gospel Performance"Shall We Gather at the River"Nominated

GMA Dove Award wins

YearCategoryTitle
1988Contemporary Gospel AlbumTake 6
1988Group of the Year—
1988Contemporary Gospel Song"If We Ever"
1988New Artist of the Year—
1990Contemporary Gospel Song"I L-O-V-E You"
1990Contemporary Gospel AlbumSo Much 2 Say
1990Contemporary Gospel AlbumHe Is Christmas
1992Contemporary Gospel AlbumHandel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration
1994Contemporary Gospel AlbumJoin the Band
1996Special Event AlbumTribute: The Songs of Andrae Crouch (various artists)

References

  1. 1 2 Ostling, Richard N. (March 20, 1989). "Religion: Evangelism And All That Jazz". TIME. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Take 6 Contemporary Christian A Cappella Group". Singers.com. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Colin Larkin, ed. (1993). The Guinness Who's Who of Soul Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 259. ISBN   0-85112-733-9.
  4. 1 2 Ginell, Richard S. "Take 6". AllMusic. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Take 6 Believe scores big on the Billboard charts during debut week". sonorecordinggroup.com. April 5, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Richard S. Ginell. "Take 6 | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
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