The Standard | 
 enlarge | Artist: Take 6
Label: Heads Up
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy New: $9.99
You Save: $8.99 (47%)
New (36) Used (14) from $8.15
Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 1533
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 4.8 x 0.4
UPC: 053361314224
EAN: 0053361314224
ASIN: B001D94L3O
Release Date: September 30, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | Sweet Georgia Brown - Take 6, Pinkard, Maceo | | • | Straighten Up and Fly Right - Take 6, Cloe, Nat | | • | Seven Steps to Heaven - Take 6, Davis, Miles | | • | Windmills of Your Mind - Take 6, Bergman, Alan | | • | Someone to Watch Over Me - Take 6, Gershwin, George | | • | Grace (Reprise) - Take 6, Jones, Quincy | | • | Back to You - Take 6, McKnight, Claude | | • | A-Tisket, A-Tasket - Take 6, Fizgerald, Ella | | • | Bein' Green - Take 6, Raposo, Joe | | • | Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans - Take 6, Alter, Louis | | • | What's Going On - Take 6, Benson, Renaldo | | • | Shall We Gather at the River - Take 6, Lowry, Robert | | • | Grace - Take 6, Jones, Quincy |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
A cappella powerhouse Take 6 marks a new jazz vocal milestone with The Standard. Winners of 10 GRAMMY Awards, 10 Dove Awards, one Soul Train Award and two NAACP Image Award nominations, the influential sextet - Mark Kibble, Claude V. McKnight III, Dr. Cedric Dent, David Thomas, Alvin Chea and Joey Kibble - raises the bar with a recording of mostly jazz (and some R&B) standards, including "Straighten Up and Fly Right," "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," "Someone To Watch Over Me," "What's Going On" and "Windmills of Your Mind." The Standard features guest appearances by veteran jazzmen George Benson, Al Jarreau, Jon Hendricks, Roy Hargrove, Till Broenner and others, as well as R&B luminaries Aaron Neville and Brian McKnight (Claude's brother). Take 6 gives definitive vocal treatments to such jazz classics as "Sweet Georgia Brown," "Straighten Up and Fly Right" with vocalist/guitarist George Benson, "Someone to Watch Over Me" with trumpeter Roy Hargrove, and "Seven Steps to Heaven" with Jon Hendricks, Al Jarreau and German flugelhornist Till Broenner (featuring new lyrics by Jon Hendricks). The Standard's crowning glory is a version of "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," Ella Fitzgerald's signature song - created in the studio using her original vocal from the classic 1938 Decca Records 78. Other highlights include "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans" with Aaron Neville, Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" with Brian McKnight, Quincy Jones' "Grace" and "Windmills of Your Mind" (from the 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair).
Album Description
A cappella powerhouse Take 6 marks a new jazz vocal milestone with the release of The Standard. Features guest appearances by veteran jazzmen George Benson, Al Jarreau, Jon Hendricks, Roy Hargrove, Till Br nner and others, as well as R&B luminaries Aaron Neville and Brian McKnight. Includes versions of classics such as Sweet Georgia Brown, Straighten Up And Fly Right, A-Tisket, A-Tasket, Someone To Watch Over Me, What's Going On and Windmills Of Your Mind.
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| Customer Reviews:
Still the Finest Sounding A Capella Group Around December 10, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've expressed my profound admiration for Take 6 before. To repeat myself, I thought the first c.d. and "So Much 2 Say" were two of the finest a capella recordings ever made; but I became profoundly disappointed when the group went pop in "Join the Band." So, I ignored them for about 12 years. Then, I became excited when the group released "Feels So Good" in 2006, and returned to its rich gospel roots. But when I heard they were following up that one with this c.d. regarding standards, I thought, "Oh, no, is this 'Join the Band' again?"
Answer: no, not at all. In fact, this c.d. confirms in my mind that Take 6 is the finest sounding a capella group in the U.S.
In this release, the group explores its jazz roots and does riffs on a number of standards. On most of them, they sing back-up - and prove that they are a number of levels above the Pips, the Vandellas, the Blue Notes, the Miracles, and any other long-time a capella backup group you may care to name.
So many highlights; where to begin?
Let's start with possibly the most impressive cut on the disc: Verve gave them the rights to borrow an old Ella Fitzgerald solo of "A Tisket A Tasket" (the liner notes don't say when, but I'm guessing some time in the '50's), and the group does some heavenly back-up over Ella's "solo." Ah, but if only these 7 artists could have met in the flesh!
Or consider "Seven Steps to Heaven." Jon Hendricks does the vocalese lyrical honors (who else?) and the leadoff vocal, with Al Jarreau taking over thereafter. With Till Bronner doing a tremendous impression of Miles Davis, this cut just shines.
Or consider "Someone to Watch Over Me." With Shelea Frazier taking the lead, this is the most soulful rendition of this Gershwin standard ever.
And I adore "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans." With Aaron Neville doing the honors, I think this is my favorite rendition of this song ever (including Satchmo's!).
Or look what they do to the old Nat King Cole classic, "Straighten Up and Fly Right." With George Benson doing the honors, Take 6 kicks butt. Again, if only Take 6 had been around at the time Natalie's father had made this popular!
To prove that the group has not lost sight of its gospel roots, however, they end the disc with "Shall We Gather at the River?" and a wordless "Grace." It's quite clear that everything these guys do is with the glorification of God in mind; but it's equally clear that they don't have to wear their religions on their sleeves to pump out great recordings.
20 years later, I must say: Take 6 still rules! RC
Amazing !! November 29, 2008
This work of Take 6 is amazing. I`m a jazz collector and I love this group, Jorge from Patagonia Argentina.
A cappella at its best November 14, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've waited years for this amazing a cappella gospel group to make a recording of jazz standards, and the results were worth the wait. Their incredibly tight harmonies, ambitious arrangements (kudos to Mark Kibble), and glorious ensemble sound bring a cappella singing to another level entirely. Sweet Georgia Brown is pure joy, Straighten Up And Fly Right is pure swing, and A Tisket A Tasket is pure fun. There's also a lushly beautiful Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans, with Aaron Neville's honeyed voice and a delightful brass band imitation. Their greatest achievement here, though, is the R&B classic What's Going On, which their unaccompanied voices soulfully blend into a soaring, powerful groove that demands repeated listening. Enjoy.
The Standard is AWESOME!!!!! October 24, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Take 6 has outdone themselves once again with their new CD "The Standard"!!! I have been a fan of this group for many years and I absolutely love their music! The collaborations on the CD rocks! I would definitely recommend "The Standard" for anyone who is a major fan of Take 6!!
 A Fun Listen October 2, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
A collection of Jazz, R&B and Inspirational recordings with a twist of Take 6 arrangements and vocals, unmatched by anyone else out there. Not your typical Take 6 Gospel recording, but a fun listen with superb guest appearances. Leaning more towards secular jazz tunes may cause some a bit of concern that they've left their gospel roots. But after attending a very recent performance in Los Angeles, their testimony is still as strong as ever. Good music from the best vocal ensemble out there.
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