The Detroit Jazz Festival will see two powers collide when historic vocal groups Manhattan Transfer and Take 6 meet on Saturday night for “The Summit,” a showcase of the two groups’ prowess and a celebration of their combined 90 years as formidable forces in the world. jazz.
You read correctly. Take 6 was founded in 1980 and Transfer celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2022. Yet the two groups remain somewhat ageless, and they will both combine and fight lovingly on the Carhartt Soundstage during the all-virtual festival. .
As the Transfer nears its 50th anniversary, the group is working in the studio on a collaboration with the WDR Symphony that reinvents the classic Transfer tunes with orchestral accompaniment. The album will be the group’s first since “The Junction” in 2018, a glorious return to form that featured surprisingly arranged covers ranging from “Cantaloop” by Herbie Hancock and Us3 and “The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul” by XTC to Rickie Lee Jones “Ugly Man” (re-launched as a scathing criticism of the Trump administration, an unprecedented political move for the Transfer).
The album, on the BMG label, also features beautifully crafted originals like “Blues for Harry Bosch” and fiery bossa nova “Sometimes I Do”, written by Take 6 member Mervyn Warren, who also produced the album. .
“We had performed together in the past, for many years,” said Janis Siegel of Manhattan Transfer of the two groups. “They would open for us or something. You know, they make songs, and then we do songs. Maybe we’d do a song together, an encore or something. But one day, we said to ourselves: “What if we set up something really collaborative? It took a while to develop, but there are quite a few songs that we do together with 10 parts – us four and six.
“We do Take 6 songs and Manhattan Transfer songs,” she said. “We even have a group battle where we sing excerpts from their songs and vice versa. “
“It’s a real collaboration with great friends,” said Siegel. “They’ve been together almost as long as we’ve been, and it’s wonderful to be able to work with amazing singers to deliver something unique.”
Following:Highlights from Friday performances at the Detroit Jazz Festival
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Detroit Jazz Festival
When: Keep going until monday
How to watch: The shows will be broadcast live on the festival’s Facebook and YouTube pages, Detroit Jazz Fest LIVE! app and at detroitjazzfest.org. They will be broadcast live on Detroit A&E Channel 22, WDET-FM (101.9), WEMU-FM (89.1) and WRCJ-FM (90.9).
Cost: To free
When to watch the Summit: The Manhattan Transfer and Take 6 performance will air and air Saturday at 10:10 p.m. from the Carhartt Soundstage at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center.
