Multi Selling Sextet Take 6 to Release New CD “One”

SHANACHIE ENTERTAINMENT SET FOR DEBUT LABEL RELEASE FROM TEN TIME GRAMMY & DOVE WINNER TAKE 6

Acapella Sensation Returns to their Roots with Their Highly Anticipated CD One

“The baddest vocal cats on the planet!” – Quincy Jones

Acappella sensation Take 6 (Alvin Chea, Khristian Dentley, Joey Kibble, Mark Kibble, Claude V. McKnight III, David Thomas) defies category. The instantly recognizable and irrepressible ten-time Grammy and Dove winners are a perfect representation of what Duke Ellington called “Beyond Category.” Take 6 who holds the distinction of being the most Grammy nominated vocal group in history, is truly unique in their sound: Six angelic and refined voices united in crystal clear harmony against a rip tide of syncopated rhythms, ornate arrangements and funky grooves that bubble into an intoxicating brew of gospel, jazz, R&B and pop flavor. With ten Grammy and Dove Awards, two NAACP Image Awards and one Soul Train Award under their belt, Take 6 are musician’s musicians who have won praise from such luminaries as Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Brian Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald and Whitney Houston.

They have even played the White House. The multi-platinum selling sextet will release their highly anticipated Shanachie Entertainment debut, One, on March 27, 2012. Claude V. McKnight III, one of Take 6’s original founding members says of the group’s longevity, “The glue for Take 6 is that we consider this a Ministry. We are God’s group! We are also family in the sense that we care deeply about each other, and that helps keep us together. We have times when it gets tough, but we pull together because of the love we have for one another.”

“Take 6’s unique genius is unmatched on today’s music scene, and I can’t wait for the world to feel the joy and brilliance of their new album. They never sounded better,” states VP of A&R, Danny Weiss. The title track and first single from Take 6’s new recording One captures the genius behind what has made the acappella powerhouse a phenomenon for decades. The sure to be chart- topping single has an equally admirable video that features cameos from everyone from Stevie Wonder and Brian McKnight to Lalah Hathaway. Stevie Wonder also joins Take 6 on One in a stirring rendition of his own beautiful composition, “Can’t Imagine Love Without You.” Other highlights on the CD include the groups own songs like “Working In You” and “Done My Best” and brilliant re-workings of such gospel stalwarts as “What A Friend We Have In Jesus,” “Farther Along” and “Take The Lord With You.”

The Take 6 story began in 1980 at Oakwood College in Huntsville, AL. It was not long before their signature sound garnered the group wide spread attention. In 1987, Take 6 signed with Warner Brothers and released their eponymously titled debut, which scored two Grammys and landed in the top ten on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz and Contemporary Christian charts. Take 6’s emergence on the music scene garnered wide spread attention and opportunities to collaborate with many of the brightest stars in the industry. In 1990, they released the Grammy winning So Much 2 Say, which found a home at number 2 spot on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz chart. Another Grammy followed with the group’s holiday recording He Is Christmas. During the 90s they continued to solidify themselves as forces to reckon with producing a string of stellar recordings including Join the Band (1994), Brothers (1996), So Cool (1998) and We Wish You a Merry Christmas (1999). Both Join the Band and Brothers were both Grammy winners. In 2000, TAKE 6 released a live recording and a best-of collection that was followed by Beautiful World in 2002. In 2006, Feels Good, presented an opportunity for the group to release their first new album on their own label. In 2008, Take 6 joined forces with an all-star lineup that included Aaron Neville, Brian McKnight, George Benson, Al Jarreau and Jon Hendricks for their album The Standard, their first for the Heads up label. 2010’s Most Wonderful Time of the Year, climbed to the top 40 spot on Billboard’s U.S. Jazz charts. Always one to reach back and give back, Take 6 mentors and nurtures young talent through their Take 6 Vocal Jazz Scholarship. With the release of One, Take 6 reminds us of why they are the gold standard for acappella groups everywhere!

Shanachie Records