The Manhattan Transfer & Take 6 team up at Macky Auditorium

One group single-handedly brought vocal jazz to the masses. The other’s smooth R&B hits inspired a new generation of a cappella mania, from The Sing Off to Glee to Smash.

Now that they’ve teamed up, there’s nothing they can’t conquer.

For the first time ever, The Manhattan Transfer and Take 6, two of the most respected singing groups in the world, have joined forces for a worldwide performance tour and recording project called The Summit … and Boulder audiences have a chance to hear them live at Macky Auditorium on Friday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Jazz fans will rejoice to hear the newly reformed Manhattan Transfer singing again with a brand new bass. Founded in 1975 by the late Tim Hauser, the vocal quartet began performing in small New York jazz clubs and quickly rose to fame, becoming a major recording act and “one of the slickest groups in today’s market” (The New York Times). Many still consider their iconic renditions of “Operator,” “Route 66” and “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” to be the pinnacle of vocal jazz.

Take 6, the most awarded ensemble in vocal history, appeals to soul, R&B and spiritual music fans alike. Since the release of their 1988 breakout single “Spread Love,” the group has been inseparable and its fans legendarily loyal. And it’s no mystery why: After a 2013 concert, The New York Times declared, “this group still does some things that no one else in its field can touch.” The ensemble’s six members effortlessly move together as one through the complex harmonies and cleverly syncopated rhythms of their own pop arrangements and original songs.

With 20 Grammy awards between them, worldwide sales in the millions and a comfortable familiarity with sold-out tour performance, it’ll come as no surprise to learn that their double act has already been widely hailed. Having heard the ten singers together, Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar proclaims “they must be heard to believed.

“Take 6 and The Manhattan Transfer have combined their talents to create an evening of incredible joy, and they do it without forgetting to swing,” he says.

From classic jazz standards to original rhythm and blues, there’ll be a little bit of something for both casual listeners and vocal aficionados. Both groups are set to reprise a few of their old favorites and collaborate on a few new arrangements.

The journalist Michael Bourne says, “The Manhattan Transfer and Take 6 together … you could hear such profound and delightful artistry. You could feel how much fun they were having. I can’t think of enough superlatives. How about WOW X 10!”