We Wish You a Merry Christmas

by Take 6

Overview

Who better to ring in Christmas with than one of the greatest contemporary gospel groups in the world? Kirk Whalum (whose soprano sax weaves in and around a lively vocal improvisation on "Let It Snow") has said that, as a faithful Christian, he won't do a holiday album because every secular musician has done one for commercial purposes. Fortunately, the sixsome combine their amazingly strong witness with joyous arrangements of classics on their second Christmas disc--perfect for religious and secular celebrations. As with all their mostly a cappella recordings, the uniqueness of the Take 6 sound lies in their vocal arrangements. You almost feel you need three speakers to capture all the diverse activity of a brief but unforgettable combo of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" and "Carol of the Bells." The first segues into the second, then comes back so that two voices are singing "Wish," two are singing "Carol" and two are intertwining other verses of "Wish" all in a colorful swirl. In addition to the Whalum solo, "Let It Snow" features a rhythm groove provided by nonstop finger snapping. And--rare for a reverent gospel group--they vocally improvise a cool Southern porchswing setting before delving into a rousing version of "Go Tell It On The Mountain." Towards the end of the piece, the texturing of the underscoring "Hallelujahs" is so remarkable that it requires an extra credit--"Vocal Editing: John Lawry." It's amazing how many Christmas albums come out every year with the same familiar tunes on them, and how few add anything new to the culture. The great blessing is that Take 6 gives back to God and their fans with a unique flair that bears repeated listening.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/12/2020
Label:	Word
UPC:	0075678324321
catalogNumber:	832432
Rank:	198988

Tracks

1. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
2. Whalum's Weather Report
3. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
4. Go Tell It on the Mountain
5. The Christmas Song
6. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
7. What Child Is This?
8. Silver Bells
9. Winter Wonderland
10. O Little Town of Bethlehem
11. Joy to the World

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Take 6   Primary Artist
James Blair   Drums
Alvin Chea   Vocals
Cedric Dent   Keyboards
Paul Jackson   Guitar
Joey Kibble   Vocals
Claude V. McKnight   Vocals
Kirk Whalum   Soprano Saxophone
Kevin Whalum   Spoken Word
Sherrie Kibble   Background Vocals
David Thomas   Vocals
Beverly Dent   Background Vocals
Karima Kibble   Background Vocals

Technical Credits

Mel Tormé   Composer
Danny Duncan   Engineer
Brian McKnight   Arranger
Alvin Chea   Arranger,Producer
Cedric Dent   Arranger,Producer,Vocal Arrangements
Rick Ellis   Engineer
Joey Kibble   Producer,Engineer
Mark Kibble   Arranger,Producer,Engineer
John Lawry   Vocal Editing
Claude V. McKnight   Producer,Vocal Arrangements
Pierce   Engineer
Isaac Watts   Composer
Robert Wells   Composer
Claude McKnight   Producer
Lowell Mason   Composer
Marcelo Pennell   Engineer
Phillips Brooks   Composer
Alan Litten   Engineer
David Thomas   Arranger,Producer
Traditional   Composer
John W. Work   Composer
William Chatterton Dix   Composer
Lewis Redner   Composer
Chris Wood   Engineer