Take 6 Live
Vocal sextet Take 6 bring their tight jazz harmonies and Christian message to their first live recording, from Tokyo's Blue Note in October 1999. The distinctive a cappella style they established early in their career is preserved in the swingers "If We Ever Needed the Lord Before" and "Mary" from theirgroundbreaking first albumand the luscious "I'm on My Way" and the lickety-split "So Much 2 Say" from their1990 follow-up.To spotlight individual members of the band, theMiles Davisclassic "All Blues" finds Cedric Dent on piano accompanying the five voices imitating instruments, including Joey Kibble's dead-on rendition of Miles's Harmon mute. Fans of the band's more commercial sound, which debuted when they added instrumental support with 1994'sJoin the Band, will enjoy hearing Dent stay at the piano for Charlie Chaplin's classic "Smile" (though with a lot of jazzy filigree) and "Over the Hill Is Home," a brand-new song by Dent and Alvin Chea that offers a reassuring message of hope though less of a musical challenge. Not everyone enjoys both faces of the band, but the song list has enough variety to please almost any fan. In addition, the 12-minute final track, "I've Got Life/Spread Love," allows the group room to stretch out and get in some interplay with the audience.--David Horiuchi