Take 6 formed in 1980 at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, when Claude V. McKnight III started the Gentlemen's Estate Quartet. Tenor Mark Kibble joined after hearing them rehearse in a campus restroom, followed by Mervyn Warren, leading to the name Alliance. The group signed with Warner Bros. in 1987, adopting the name Take 6 due to a naming conflict, and released their self-titled debut album in 1988, which earned two Grammy Awards and charted on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz and Contemporary Christian lists. The sextet specializes in a cappella gospel music, blending jazz, R&B, and spiritual lyrics with complex vocal harmonies. They have released 18 albums, including So Much 2 Say (1990) and The Standard (2008), and accumulated 12 Grammy Awards, five Dove Awards, and a Soul Train Award. Collaborations include work with Quincy Jones and contributions to films like Do the Right Thing. Take 6 performs live without instrumental accompaniment, showcasing their swinging, harmony-rich sound in churches, campuses, and jazz venues.