Take 6 Still Spreads the Love After Four Decades
For more than four decades, Take 6 has set the standard for vocal harmony. Founding member Claude McKnight reflects on the group's humble beginnings, enduring mission, and the music they'll bring to their four-night SFJAZZ residency.
Take 6. Photo: John Shyloski
Listen to the full conversation with Claude McKnight below.
When Take 6 steps onto the stage, audiences know they're about to hear some of the most sophisticated vocal harmony ever assembled. What they may not realize is that the Grammy-winning sextet's signature sound began with something far more modest: a college quartet singing spirituals and barbershop arrangements in Alabama.
“It was basically kind of a barbershop quartet feel,” founding member Claude McKnight recalls. “Oakwood had a very rich heritage of a cappella groups, so we were just one of the other quartets on campus.”
That quartet, formed at Oakwood College in 1980, gradually evolved into something no one had quite heard before. McKnight and his fellow students added voices, expanding from five to six singers during the group's formative years, enabling richer jazz harmonies that set them apart from every other ensemble on campus.
The turning point came when vocalist and arranger Mark Kibble walked into a bathroom where the group was rehearsing.
“He came in and added a fifth part to what we were doing,” McKnight says with a laugh. “Once he joined the group, he pretty much started arranging for us, which gave us a sound that was different from everybody else’s. At that point, we realized, 'Wow, this could be something really, really special.'“
Four decades later, that “something special” has become one of the most celebrated vocal groups in modern music. Quincy Jones famously dubbed them “the baddest vocal cats on the planet,” and the accolades have followed ever since: ten Grammy Awards, ten Dove Awards, a Soul Train Award, induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and collaborations with artists ranging from Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald to Stevie Wonder and Jacob Collier. Their music seamlessly blends gospel, jazz, R&B, and pop into a style unmistakably their own.
Yet for McKnight, awards and longevity aren't what define Take 6.
“I think the original mission statement was to spread love,” he says. “That's what we've been doing from the very beginning. We want to make sure that when someone comes to a show, they feel it, hear it, and know that's what we share among ourselves.”
That philosophy is embodied in “Spread Love,” the group's breakthrough recording and, arguably, its signature song. “I think that's the first song most people heard from us,” McKnight says. “It encapsulated everything we wanted to be.”
The message remains as relevant today as it was nearly forty years ago. “It still resonates with us,” he says. “And I think it continues to resonate with the audience.”
Even as they celebrate their remarkable history, Take 6 continues to look ahead. The group is putting the finishing touches on Rhapsody, an ambitious new recording devoted to jazz standards, interpreted through the unmistakable Take 6 lens.
The idea originated with longtime manager Ed Keane, who encouraged the group to revisit the jazz roots central to its musical identity. “We realized how important it would be,” McKnight says. “These songs are very important, and we wanted people to have an opportunity not only to hear them—or hear them again—but also to hear our take on them.”
That balancing act is central to every arrangement.
“You have to retain enough of the original so you don't take away from what people loved in the first place,” he explains. “But you also have to put your stamp on it, something uniquely you know how to do.”
Among the album's highlights are collaborations with fusion powerhouse Snarky Puppy and Swedish trio Dirty Loops, a reimagined version of Dave Brubeck's “Take Five,” and an R&B-infused arrangement of “Stardust” featuring legendary drummer John “J.R.” Robinson and trumpeter Chris Botti.
While the complete album is expected after the first of the year, audiences attending the upcoming SFJAZZ engagement may get an early taste of it. “We've been performing at least one song from that brand-new album,” McKnight says.
Take 6. Photo: John Abbott
The concerts themselves promise to span the group's entire career. “We always try to play songs from our entire catalog,” he says. “We want to make sure we cover enough bases for the early adopters—the people who know the first album—as well as those who are looking forward to Rhapsody.”
That expansive repertoire is only part of what makes a Take 6 concert memorable. McKnight insists that no two performances are ever the same.
“We may play the same songs for weeks at a time,” he says, “but every single performance has elements that are so different—and sometimes so funny. We laugh and react to each other. We do things you would think only happen in rehearsal.”
Unlike tightly choreographed productions, Take 6 embraces spontaneity.
“We're not one of those groups where every bow and every turn is scripted,” he says. “I think every performance is so different that it's part of what keeps it fresh for us.”
Returning to San Francisco is especially meaningful given the city's deep appreciation for jazz.
“San Francisco has always been a great place for jazz,” McKnight says. “People come out who really understand the music and love vocal music. The energy we're going to receive from the audience is going to lift us up.”
Ultimately, that's what Take 6 hopes every audience takes home.
“We want people to leave in a better mood, a better space, and a better place than when they arrived,” McKnight says. “Whether they've heard us before or not, we want them to walk away saying, 'What did I just witness?'”
TICKET INFO
Take 6 performs at SFJAZZ's Miner Auditorium Thursday, August 13, through Sunday, August 16. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets are available at: https://www.sfjazz.org/tickets/productions/summer-2026/take-6/
For more information about the group, visit: https://take6.com.
