Take 6

The most acclaimed vocal group in the world, 10-time GRAMMY winning sextet Take 6 make their return to SFJAZZ, celebrating over 45 years of sweet harmonies and inspiring messages of hope.  

Formed in 1980 on the campus of Huntsville, Alabama’s Oakwood College by tenor singer Claude McKnight, the group performed at churches for several years with a revolving cast of singers before signing a recording contract with Atlantic and releasing their eponymous 1988 debut that won three GRAMMYs and earned the group a Best New Artist nomination.  

Performing for multiple presidents, touring the globe, recording 15 albums, collaborating with a who’s who of the music world including Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Jacob Collier, Whitney Houston, and Stevie Wonder, and contributing to the soundtracks of Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing and John Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood, the gospel group has adeptly crossed most musical genres, from straight-ahead jazz to pop to R&B, doo-wop to blues, while remaining true to their founding approach. 

Their most recent release on their own Sono label, Iconic, hit #1 on the Billboard Jazz chart. 

Featuring founding members McKnight and tenor Mark Kibble, the group performs a range of material for these dates, channeling the power of faith through the power of song.