The a cappella powerhouse, Take 6 is set for the September 30th release of their new album, The Standard.

The new album showcases a more jazz-influenced approach and features guest appearances by Al Jarreau, George Benson, Brian McKnight and others.

Winners of 10 Grammy Awards, 10 Dove Awards, one Soul Train Award and two NAACP Image Award nominations, the influential sextet is equal parts Mark Kibble, Claude V. McKnight III, Dr. Cedric Dent, David Thomas, Alvin Chea and Joey Kibble.

The Standard is a collection 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.”

“While we sing lyrics that always exemplify our spiritual and moral convictions, what we really are at the core is a jazz vocal group,” says David Thomas, a member of the Take 6 lineup since 1985. “So we decided to do an album of jazz standards, a record that will stand up as the jazz vocal album for all time.”

Take 6 co-founder Claude McKnight also stands behind the ambitious claim, “We go into every project saying it will be the best,” he says. “At least the best we’ve ever done, and depending on the concept or the genre, it may be the best that’s ever been done by anyone. When we take on a project or step into a new phase of our career, we’re not afraid to say, ‘Hey, let’s move some mountains.’”

The group will perform live with Stevie Wonder at the Democratic National Convention in Denver on Thursday, August 28th.

Take 6 burst onto the music scene in 1988 with their critically acclaimed, platinum-selling debut self-titled album. The a cappella sextet, with voices emulating the sounds and rhythms of musical instruments, has since awed both smooth jazz and gospel listeners with their harmonies and vocal arrangements.

Michael Handler wrote in Down Beat Magazine, “Like their stylish clothes, the a cappella music of Take 6 is performed with style–always in time, in tune.”

For more information you can visit their website, take6.com.

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