Take 6 a Cappella Group Comes to UW

(SparkCBC via Flickr)

Take 6, a well-known a cappella band, is coming to the University of Wyoming this Friday, February 24^th. They will perform in the Arts and Sciences Auditorium at 7:30pm.  The event is free for UW students, $27 for the general public, and $23 dollars for senior and non-UW students.  The concert may seem a little pricey for non-UW students, but it is probably the best chance to see a Grammy-winning a cappella band. The group has won ten Grammy awards, ten Dove awards, and one Soul Train award since their inception in 1980. While their music style has developed, the group focuses on merging traditional gospel with R&B, but they also have many jazz and pop style songs.  Their music has been heavily influenced by their work with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald, and Whitney Houston.

The band was started at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama as the Gentlemen’s Estate Club.  There group grew—often through unusual ways, such as a new member joining after hearing the group practicing in a bathroom—and developed in the music style during their early years.  They performed at churches and campus in their early years, with rapidly rotating members as students graduated or began their university careers.

In 1987, they signed with Warner Brothers and produced their first album, which won two Grammy awards.  From there the group took a much more jazzy turn, producing their “He Is Christmas” album, which won them another Grammy for best jazz vocal performance.  Since their jazzy turn, the group has produced several more award-winning albums.  Dave Thomas, a member of the group since 1985, says, “While we sing lyrics that always exemplify our spiritual and moral convictions, what we really are at the core is a jazz vocal group.”

So make sure you head over to the Arts and Sciences Auditorium this Friday. You will not be disappointed, for you will be hearing the same music that four past US presidents have heard. Take a sneak peek at this You-Tube video to hear what they are like.