When Alvin Chea, David Thomas, Claude McKnight, Cedric Dent, and Joey and Mark Kibble burst onto the scene from a small Alabama college in the early '90s as the vocal group Take 6, their gospel-inspired vocals and all-embracing musical outlook blew listeners and categories away with their hip and heavenly messages of hope. With two unreleased tracks--"One and the Same," featuring the soul stirrings of CeCe Winans, and the samba-fied "The Best Stuff in the World Today Cafe"--this collection shows off the ensemble's ability to drop God's word into earthly beats. Take 6 can go from the celestial harmonies of "Mary," "A Quiet Place," and Handel's "Oh Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion" (with a rejuvenated Stevie Wonder) to the South African sonorities of "Fly Away," the East Indian impressions of "Destiny," and the bop-jazz-fusion-flavored "So Much 2 Say," "U Turn," and "Setembro (Brazilian Wedding Song)." Pop-wise, "I L-O-V-E U," "Spread Love," and the Ambrosia hit "Biggest Part of Me" show off their beat-box, R&B, and adult-contemporary chops. Through Take 6, God moves--and sings--in mysterious and marvelous ways. --Eugene Holley Jr.
