2003
In June, they collaborate on the TV special ‘Denyce Graves: Breaking The Rules'. It's been made into a DVD as well. https://www.whyy.org/about/pressroom/denycegraves.html reports:
Graves leaves behind opera scores and wows the crowd with an electrifying collection of classical, gospel, R&B, and jazz favorites such as ‘Get Happy', ‘Old Man River', ‘Laid Down My Burdens', ‘Joint is Jumpin'' and more.
Highlights include Graves performing a powerful duet with Patti LaBelle. Another special moment in the program is a rousing rendition of ‘Smile' by male a capella group, Take 6. The soulful group also engages the audience in a participatory version of ‘Wade in the Water'."
Performances
- 01-22-03 (TV) Wayne Brady Show (Los Angeles, CA)
- Tonight the episode is aired where Take 6 sings.
Video: Love's In Need of Love Today (low quality)
- 02-23-03 New York, NY (Madison Square Garden: 45th Annual Grammy Awards)
- The group is nominated for a Grammy Award for the year 2002:
- winner in category Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: ‘Love's in Need of Love Today' (Stevie Wonder & Take 6)
- 06-28-03 The Hague, Holland (WORLD PORT JAZZ FESTIVAL)
- That's what it's called these days... could have taken place on fridaynight 06-27 by the way. The internet contains very few references to this concert.
- 07-13-03 Ravenna, Italy (Ravenna Festival, Palazzo Mauro de André)
- Video: Interview and soundcheck
- 09-27-03 Mississauga, ON (Mississauga Seventh-Day Adventist Church)
- 10-02-03 until 10-05 New York, NY (Blue Note)
- 11-11-03 Basel, Switzerland (AVO Session)
- Video: If We Ever
Video: Grandma's Hands
Video: Jazz Vibe introduction
Video: Take6 Medley:
- Amen
- Goldmine
- David and Goliath
- He Never Sleeps
- Revelation
- Get Away, Jordan
The complete session can (could?) be downloaded from: https://www.4shared.com/dir/9906176/2c013881/Grupos_Vocais_A_Capella.html
- 11-12-03 Leverkusen, Germany (24. Leverkusener Jazztage)
- Someone had to make a DVD cover for this concert, and according to that cover the track list consists of:
‘I've Got Life', ‘Spread Love', ‘Fly Away', ‘So Much 2 Say' and ‘Grandma's Hands'. However, on https://www.quesonegro.com/html/guestbook.php it is shown that ‘Sunshine' was performed too.
A journalist writes on https://www1.sticks.de/news/0310/news.htm:
“Der Konzertabend “Voices Of The World" im “Forum" am 12. 11. ab 18.30 Uhr dürfte nicht nur für die Liebhaber besonderer “Voices" interessant sein. Beim “80th Birthday Concert" von Charlie Mariano feat. Karnataka College of Percussion werden die Percussionisten Ramesh Shotam und T.A.S. Mani das Publikum in die exotische Welt der indischen Percussion entführen. Neben dem Vocal-Sextett Take 6 rundet der Auftritt von Sängerin Lyambiko und ihrer Band mit dem fantastisch subtil groovenden Drummer Torsten Zwingenberger das Programm ab."
- 12-01-03 until 12-02 Nagoya, Japan (Blue Note)
- During their Japan tour (Blue Note, Tokyo) they are asked by operations officer Lt. Edmond Aruffo to come and give a lunchtime concert on the USS Vandegrift (a US Navy ship). They do that on:
12-09-03 They sing in the helo hangar before about 80 sailors. Mark: “Coming out here to perform was awesome," said Kibble. “It was such an honor to be able to do it because these are the people who ‘have our backs.' We're so proud of you all. Just to come and share a little bit of joy with you during the Christmas season, and share some of God's love, was the biggest honor for us. We realize you guys have a tough job to do so, we're praying for you while you're out here and we ‘got your back' too."
Source: https://www.navy.mil/search/print.asp?story_id=11178&VIRIN=&imagetype=0&page=1
Collaborations
- 33 - Luis Miguel
- 4. Te Necesito
- XXL – Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band
- 3. Comes Love (with Brian McKnight as well)
8. It's All Right With Me
- Remembering Patsy Cline – various artists
- 12. Sweet Dreams (Of You)
(with Martina Mcbride)
- Shiro's Songbook Selection – London Freedom Choir
- 14. The Glory Day
Album WOW Gospel 2003 (various artists) contains at cd1 ‘Takin' It to the Streets' (track 15).
Album The Challenge: A Call to Action (various artists) contains the same song.
Album Heavenly Christmas (various artists) contains ‘Silver Bells' (track 16).
The seasonal album of Whitney Houston that's released this year (One Wish - The Holiday Album (November 2003)) would have Take 6. Mervyn writes on his Facebook page, after a question of a fan about it:
Yes, sir. It's all me. whitney wanted to do a song with take 6, and we tried our best to get to get them, but it didn't quite work out. As a result, she was heartbroken. So, I recorded “oh come" secretly, then surprised her with it in the studio. She was moved to tears, which made me feel quite good. :-)
2004
About halfway through the year, thoughts about new album “Feels Good" are taking shape (according to a program booklet of the 2006 Ann Arbor concert).
Performances
- 01-16-04 Troy, NY (Troy Savings Bank Music Hall)
- ?- ?-04 Bern, Switzerland (29th Bern International Jazz Festival)
- The festival lasts from March 6 - May 22.
- 04-13-04 Los Angeles, CA (Walt Disney Concert Hall)
- https://www.filmmusicsociety.org/news_events/features/2004/041604.html writes:
The two-hour concert that night at Disney Hall was entitled “A Tribute to Henry Mancini." It was a benefit for the Henry Mancini Institute, which has become something of a summertime Mecca for talented young instrumentalists seeking to broaden their classical training to include jazz and more popular forms.
Peter Gunn drew one standing ovation; the second was when Mancini's Oscar-winning theme for Breakfast at Tiffany's, “Moon River," was performed by Stevie Wonder on harmonica and the vocal harmonies of Take 6.
https://www.jazzreview.com/articledetails.cfm?ID=2907 writes:
In celebration of Henry Mancini, one of the 20th century's most prolific and honored composers, Concord Records has teamed with his daughter, Monica, to release Ultimate Mancini on March 23. Many of Mancini's most memorable songs have been re-recorded, in some cases using the original arrangements.JazzReview.com: There's a nice version of ‘Moon River' on the new CD with Stevie Wonder and Take 6.
In addition to Monica Mancini, the CD features several special guests, including Stevie Wonder, Take 6 and Kenny Rankin.
Henry Mancini is best known for the endearing music that he wrote for films and television. Some of his best songs, including “Moon River," “Two For The Road," and “The Pink Panther Theme" are included on the new CD. During his career, Mancini earned four Academy Awards and 20 Grammy Awards.
The release of “Ultimate Mancini" is one of several special events happening in 2004, which would have been the composer's 80th birthday. Ten years after this death, the U.S. Postal Service is also issuing the Henry Mancini Commemorative Stamp in April. Other events happening this year include a tribute concert at the new Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
Monica Mancini: “That was Dad's original arrangement for ‘Moon River.' It came right off the film ... we took the exact same arrangement with the same instrumentation and said who would be the best harmonica player we could come up with. Stevie Wonder was first on the list. And our favorite vocal group, and they are just hot as hell, is Take 6. We asked and they were delighted to do it. It came out great."
JazzReview.com: Was it key for this CD to use as much of the original arrangements as possible?
Monica Mancini: “It was. We really wanted to point out the fact that this music is so timeless. You can take these original notes that he put on paper and if someone comes and plays the same notes, it just adds a freshness and uniqueness. It can sound very contemporary even today even though some of the arrangements are 30-some years old."
- 04-20-04 Brno, Czechia (Jazzfest Brno)
- Photos: https://www.jazzfestbrno.cz/jfb04/en/?acc=fotogalerie
- 07-16-04 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain (32nd Festival de Jazz)
- Video: 1. Wade In The Water
Video: 2. Take 6 Jazz Vibe
Video: 4. Over The Hill Is Home
Video: 5. Fly Away
Video: 6. We Don't Have To Cry
Video: 7. Grandma's Hands
Video: 8. Somethin' Within Me
Video: 9. So Much 2 Say
- 07-17-04 Birmingham, England (Symphony Hall)
- Birmingham's Black Voices are present as well.
- 08-10-04 Marciac, France (27th Jazz in Marciac (August 1-15))
- Photos: https://www.jazzinmarciac.com/souvenir-take6-2004-93.html
- 08-12-04 Oslo, Norway (Oslo Jazz Festival (August 9-15))
- 08-13-04 Haugesund, Norway (Sildajazz (August 1-15))
- 09-10-04 Tuscaloosa, AL (in the Concert Hall of the Moody Music Building of the University of Alabama, taking part in UA's School of Music Celebrity Series)
- 09-18-04 Monterey, CA (Monterey Jazz Festival)
- 11-05-04 Seoul, South Korea (JVC Jazz Festival)
- With the Marcus Miller Band and Four Of A Kind.
Video: entire concert
Collaborations
- Ultimate Mancini
- 4. Moon River
With Stevie Wonder and Take 6.
- Always – Geri King
- 6. When You're Here
With ‘Interlude' as base! With (a.o.) David Foster on keyboards. Alvin Chea is Arranger, Keyboardist, Composer, Vocals (Background), Producer.
- Genius Loves Company Superdisc – Ray Charles
- 13. Unchain My Heart
Album The Soulful Sounds of Christmas (various artists) contains ‘Oh Little Town of Bethlehem'.
Album Love, Q of Quincy Jones contains ‘Moody's Mood for Love' again.
Album All Star Gospel Hits, vol. 4: Christmas (various artists, Oct 12 2004) contains ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful' (track 7). Track 1 by the way is ‘Hallelujah! A Soulful Celebration' of the famous CD “Handel's Messiah – A soulful celebration".
Album The Very Best Of Randy Travis contains ‘I'm Gonna Have a Little Talk' (track 16), a collaboration of Randy and Take 6 in 1991.
Album Wave Music, Vol. 7 contains ‘Biggest Part of Me' as track 8.
Album Velvet Jazz III (various artists) contains ‘So Cool' (track 15 of cd1).