CHRISTMAS IN JULY - HELLO NEW YAWK CITY - BOOYAH! - REPOST

DANCE OF THE SUGAR PLUMS, GREAT ART & RIDICULOUS FOOD IN THE BIG APPLE

OK - In the interest of pure, unedited honesty - this is a repost. It's not too early to plan your travel future and planning a trip to NYC during Christmas should start about now. So, I thought you might benefit from reading about our experiences in what many consider to be America's greatest urban center. Whether you agree with that is a discussion for another time and another place. I know, I know - You probably don't really want to read about the bright lights of NYC at Christmas time right in the middle of our currently long hot summer. But I have to correct a most egregious dereliction of duty on the part of this wandering vagabond heart. I left out all the cool stuff and my thoughts on all things great and small in the city that never sleeps - not to mention a killer hotel right off Times Square. I got way too busy dealing with all things holiday- kids, the countdown, presents, shopping (ugh!) - and we bought a house - SO, I have posted nil in months.

Once again, just like last year, I thought today's post would give at  least a virtual respite from that famous Tallahassee heat and humidity. As a close friend and musical mentor who moved to Arizona said upon returning for a short visit - "I knew I was in Tallahassee when I got off the plane and all the air was sucked out of my body". That's what happens when you live in a place that averages about 20-30 percent  humidity. Serves him right for leaving God's Country. My apologies to those vagabonds who happen to live in more hospitable summer climes. So this week's post will enter into the official blogosphere record a trip that has been on my bride's Bucket List since we started life together 42 years ago next month - Christmas in New York City - Check!

 

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION - WHERE YOU SLEEP MATTERS

 

Making a hotel reservation in New York, can be a daunting task. New York may, in fact, have more hotels per square foot than any city on the planet. According to the internet - and you know its true if it's on the internet - 54 million wandering souls visit this city every year. When you toss in the roughly 8 million plus permanent residents, well it's a busy place.


Therefore, you want to stay as close to the action as possible, lest a Nomad spend too much time and too much money getting from place to place, particularly when you factor in relatively long waits for taxis - and it's Christmas!

 

After researching dozens of hotels in NYC, we settled on a very small hip place just two blocks off Times Square - ROW NYC. This boutique hotel has everything one needs to rest up from a day of sight seeing or a night on the town. The design motif is pure urban minimalist from the understated lobby-bar-social meeting place to the large graphics in the rooms. Typical for New York, the rooms are not huge, but plenty big for two bleary eyed vagabonds. I recommend a Superior City View Room. It's about the same price as a regular room and you get glimpses of the city that absolutely, positively never sleeps. Our room had a killer view up the 8th Avenue canyon. Concierge Service was very good and helpful with directions, restaurant recommendations/reservations, etc.. One helpful point here - Make your reservation at least two months before your trip and check back often as your departure approaches. We got a reduced rate about a week before our trip via an email offer from the hotel. At Christmas no less- go figure!

 

 

OMG "FILL IN ANYONE'S NAME HERE" - YOU WON'T BELIEVE THE FOOD

Like New Orleans, Chicago, Austin, Paris and all of Italy, New York City has great food that will warm the cockles of every foodie vagabond's heart. American - Fusion - Italian - Burgers - Cheap - Expensive - As they say in my neck of the woods - If you cain't find good food in New Yawk, you ain't lookin'. There are two particular restaurants that IMHO every temporary Manhattanite must check out. First, for a superb Italian feast, the quaint bistro Amarone Ristorante will transport you to that little place you always want to be when you enjoy a fine meal with the one you love. This place just happens to be in the heart of the Theatre District, but you will think you are on a side alley in Montepulciano. The place is simple with unadorned brick walls and classic white table cloths. The food is real and superb. The wine, all Italian of course, is also outstanding. And all the waiters may be from Brooklyn, but they sounded Italian to me. The restaurant's tag line on their web site says:

Amarone Ristorante is a secret gem in Hell's Kitchen. This authentic Italian gem offers amazing eats that reflect the owners' Italian background.

Again, from my neck of the woods - It ain't braggin' if you can back it up. Amarone backs it up.

ATTENTION ALL VEGANS - DO NOT READ THIS!

Carnivores, on the other hand, listen up. Upon the recommendation of an in-law, who shall remain nameless to protect her from the onslaught of Texts, Tweets, Instagrams and Facebook Trolls she would no doubt receive from the red meat hating food police, castigating her for recommending a restaurant that prides itself on serving the finest slain bovine on the planet, we made reservations at one of the most unique restaurants I have ever had the pleasure of eating in - Quality Meats. This interesting multi-level eatery, part of an exclusive group of  restaurants in New York and Miami, proves that quality really has no substitute. Steaks with every trimming you could ever want paired with a great wine recommended by the excellent wait staff came together like Sinatra and "New York, New York"  . I'm spreadin' the news - Quality Meats must be added to every  NYC loving foodie's Bucket List. And kudos to my unnamed in-law. You did good girl.

 

WHO LOVES YOU PRETTY BABY!

The Great White Way is one of America's great cultural treasures, and after over 1,400 performances,The Jersey Boys has become one of the hottest tickets on Broadway. With minimal set pieces, this drama/musical trip about one of America's greatest pop-rock groups, The Jersey Boys captures the true story and essence of the 100 million record selling super group. We so enjoyed the story about this often troubled group  with the unique high falsetto front man, Frankie Valli. The stripped down performance in the intimate August Wilson Theatre makes the musical presentation of some of the greatest pop songs ever recorded something to remember. And they sang virtually every hit this Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted group ever recorded - Sherry - Big Girls Don't Cry - Rag Doll - ad infinitum. The actor/singer Joseph Leo Bwarie absolutely killed the Frankie Valli role with his voice and the nuance of this complex icon and his even more complex relationship with the other members of The Four Seasons. If you are a child of the sixties, ya gotta go! And drag your kids along so they can see and hear what real talent looks and sounds like.

 

THE NUTCRACKER, THE ROCKETTES, A BIG TREE & MATISSE AT MOMA - WOW!!

 

One of the great joys of visiting a city like New York is the opportunity to see the best of the best. Premiering on February 2, 1954, the George Balanchine Nutcracker Ballet is something that every person, young or old, should see. The music of Tchaikovsky, combined with the genius of Balanchine and the talents of some 90 world class dancers, presents all that is magical about the vision of Christmas. In  a world that is growing increasingly harder to understand, this annual Christmas extravaganza brings all who see it closer to the joy and beauty of our greatest holiday tradition.

 

And then we have those girls with legs that seemingly go on forever - The Rockettes. With over eighty dancers, all the same height, this dance troupe has been performing their dazzling choreography for over eighty years in one of the most iconic performance halls in America - Radio City Music Hall. Put simply, The Rockettes are a true red, white and blue blast of pure entertainment presenting Christmas entertainment at its best. And they look pretty good doing it.

And there, right in the middle of Manhattan - The giant tree in Rockefeller Center sets the mood for any Christmas visit to The Big Apple. It's very big, it's very bright and it will make you feel like Christmas. If, upon viewing this magnificent sentinel of light, you don't feel like celebrating all that Christmas means - sorry, that's on you.

 

New York is one of those places that forces any Wandering Nomad to make sometimes hard choices on what and what not to see and do. However, one experience any self respecting vagabond cannot forgo on any visit to NYC is an afternoon wandering among the great works of art that adorn the walls of  The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). World class paintings, sculpture and other objects de arte abound in this museum that has been at the cutting edge of modern art since 1929. The special exhibit - Matisse: The Cutouts - must be seen up close and personal to grasp the impact of one of modern art's most compelling and inventive artists.

FINALLY - THE WORLD TRADE CENTER - BE PREPARED!

The horrific events of 911 are respectfully remembered in film, architecture and artifacts at The 911 Memorial and Museum. You simply cannot visit this amazing memorial without understanding how ordinary Americans can  do extraordinary things when circumstances demand it and the unflinching spirit of America in the face of incomprehensible horror. The  gravity of the devastation that took place on this iconic parcel of real estate is apparent as you enter the main plaza surrounding the black sculptural voids of the original Twin Towers with a continuous black granite viewing rail featuring the embossed names of some 3,000 innocent victims who died in this soul shattering, murderous attack perpetrated by people who redefine evil of the first order. Upon entering the museum, you are first given the opportunity to view a film with dozens of world leaders, firemen, police and other ordinary Americans who had some connection with the only attack on our homeland by a foreign entity. The museum itself, which descends to the lowest foundations of the original World Trade Center subtly features a simple modern design motif by the architectural-design team lead by  David Brody Bond juxtaposed against remaining foundations, steel columns and artifacts that render the experience not so much like a museum but more like a continuous visual and emotional journey through tragedy that ultimately gives way to the life affirming power of the human spirit.

Then you see the future rising out of the ash heap from the main level of the museum as the New One World Trade Center, at a height of 1776 feet, comes into view and you hear yourself believing once again - America is still the most brilliant idea ever birthed in the mind of human kind. It is an experiment that will prevail  even in the most adverse of circumstances. As Thomas Jefferson said in 1787:

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants. It is it’s natural manure.

As we were leaving this place, which so eloquently memorializes the somber events of that tragic day in our history, I looked up to see the gleaming new tower of the New World Trade Center and I thought - God Bless America Indeed.



Thank You New York & America - Still The Land of The Free

d.l.Stafford
thenomadARCHITECT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE WEST COAST ANSWER TO THE GOOD LIFE - CARMEL BY THE SEA

NOCAL HAS FIFTY WAYS TO IMPRESS YOUR LOVER

And Carmel By The Sea, or simply Carmel, struts its stuff around every corner, in every courtyard, art gallery, bistro, bakery and restaurant with a view. Several years ago, we drove on the outskirts of Carmel on our way to San Francisco from Big Sur. So returning to this unique enclave of the quintessential "life up on the hill" has been on our Bucket list for years.

There are no bad views in Northern California's world apart from the morass of humanity that is found in Southern California. There is an endearing vibe, a zen quality, if you will,  of utter relaxation,  about this enclave of the rich and famous, ne'er do wells and old hippies with money. Founded in 1902,  Carmel, with its natural beauty and legacy of artistic residents, including painters, sculptors, poets, writers and other assorted creatives  has endured as a place to be seen and experienced to be appreciated. According to Wikipedia, in 1910 it was reported that 60 percent of Carmel's houses were built by citizens who were "devoting their lives to work connected to the aesthetic arts. Early City Councils were dominated by artists, and the city has had several mayors who were poets or actors, including Herbert Heron, founder of the Forest Theatre, bohemian writer and actor Perry Newberry, and actor-director Clint Eastwood."
 

AIRBNB + POINT LOBOS = KILLER VIEWS WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK

I have sung the praises of AIRBNB before on this blog. We have stayed at AIRBNB properties in the States and in Europe. Once again, the grand daddy of peer to peer vacation rentals did not disappoint. Just outside of Carmel we found this private guest cottage with a stunning view of the Pacific over Point Lobos State Reserve, considered to be the crown jewel of the California park system. Complete with small kitchen, rain shower bath, wood floors, large skylights, fireplace, comfy bed and floor to ceiling glass overlooking a large deck and the Pacific, The Epic Ocean View Private Lil Cottage served as NOCAL Central for our stay in the Carmel area. Because it is only five minutes from Carmel and just off California State Highway 1, access to downtown, other must sees, shopping and restaurants, including numerous places on the famous coastline road is quick and easy via car.
 

NEED  A NICE RIDE FOR PENNIES?  SIXT IS THE ANSWER

With the tag line - Drive First Class, Pay Economy - SIXT Rental Car is the latest to jump into the  travel/rental car market Stateside. And if you think that's just a marketing slogan, then you would be wrong. After our arrival at San Jose Airport, we picked up a tricked out BMW 5X SUV. After a slight learning curve with all of the new millennium gadgetry, we were on our way in the largest luxury SUV made by the venerable German automotive perfectionists. Now for the "NO WAY!" you say. The total rental?  Including federal-state-city-county-value added and California is broke taxes, enviro-natzi  fees, carbon footprint assessments, airport payola, the works - the total rental was $252 for four days. Same car, same time - Budget Rent-a-Car - are you ready? $782!!!!!!! Sometimes better mouse traps are just that - better mouse traps. Unfortunately, SIXT is not everywhere in the States yet, although they are in most major cities, so you need to check their web site for locations. They are everywhere in Europe, so a CHEAP NOMAD WHO LIKES ARRIVING IN STYLE RECOMMENDATION - check out SIXT next time you need a nice ride for a song.

Next time - Wine, Food and Clint's Place - Amazing!!


d.l.stafford
thenomadARCHITECT

“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes    




 

OK - ONCE AGAIN WITH FEELING - THE NOMAD'S RANDOM LIST OF IMPORTANT TRAVEL STUFF

STAPLE TODAY'S MUSINGS TO YOUR BUCKET LIST

Again - Happy New Year One & All. Before the travel season kicks into high gear, a little house keeping is in order. As someone who has devoted his very existence to the intricacies and joys of travel for longer than I am willing to admit, I have pondered the many side roads that make travel important. I have broached this subject before in various posts, but, today, I offer up my thoughts, right or wrong, with renewed passion that memorable travel involves planning and serendipity, the familiar and the unexpected, the common and the bizarre and a willingness to embrace every single experience into your very own travel heart and soul. Only then can a true Nomad say, with conviction - JUST GO!

MAKE THAT BUCKET LIST

From dreams we come and to dreams we can go. But you can't get there if you don't know what you want to do. Of course, if you are like me, your Bucket List will constantly change. The point is - Write it down! And then go and go and go before they put your ashes in a Choc Full O'nuts Can - Just kidding!

HAVE NO FEAR

Let's be honest. If you watch the news or read the newspaper, the world has elements that can make one  hesitant to travel due to the constant fear of some insane jihadist pulling the plug in the seat next to you. Don't buy into that feeling. Even with all of the crazies in full bloom, the chances of you being vaporized by a terrorist is about 1 in 3 million, making air and train travel ridiculously safe. Over four million people fly every day without incident.  So don't worry, you can take that plane, train or automobile  to your dream spot with no fear- You are good to go!

TO EVERY SEASON - PLAN, PLAN, PLAN

With the ubiquitous existence of the internet, travel planning has been taken away from the travel agents and tour companies that want to corral you into a bus or a cruise liner and charge you a fortune to go where everyone else has gone before. So, get out your laptop, your iPad or your cell phone and get very, very busy. There is so much available for the savvy Nomad, rich and poor.

ONLY SMALL WILL DO THANK YOU

IMHO - If it's over fifty beds, skip it. If you are a big hotel kind of person, if you demand a concierge to suck up to you when you get out of the limo, if you really think that the $25 room service Bubba Burger is for you then by all means - enjoy. But if you really want to experience the enjoyment and pleasure of staying in a unique environment, small is the thing. And just to show that I am not just talking, check out the following web sites for small places to lay your head where design, comfort and value comfortably coexist.

I-ESCAPE      

TABLET    

HIP HOTELS     

AIRBNB       

EPOQUE     

AVANTE GARDE 

MR & MRS. SMITH     

BOUTIQUE HOMES     

JET SETTER

SLOW DOWN, YOU MOVE TOO FAST

You got to make the morning last - So wrote Paul Simon back in the day. In the warp speed world of today you have to quit looking at your phone, Ipad, whatever and focus on kickin' down those cobble stones and feelin' groovy. You know - the whole stop and smell the roses thing. Twelve countries, cities, holiday spots, beaches or mountain ranges seen in twelve days will leave any Nomad tired and unfulfilled. So, pick a few spots and hang out for awhile. We try to keep our minimum time in any one place to three days. The longer you stay in one spot, the more you feel  a part of the local culture and will better understand the people and all the interesting things they do in their world. You find out where all the best places are for a morning coffee or tea, not to mention places to eat. After all, Nomads do not travel well at all on quick or bad food. One of the most interesting things we noticed in Italy is the Italian's love of meal time. You have to beg for the check. They really don't want you to leave. Very un-American wouldn't you say? And I mean that in a good way.

So, when you plan your next trip, pick some really cool places that are centered near other things you can do. Day trips are the thing. La Mancha is only 90 minutes from Madrid, after all.

AND A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT AIRBNB

That's right. This Nomad loves AIRBNB! Why you ask? First and foremost, you can choose from over 850,000 rooms, houses, condos, cabins, hostels and intimate hotels featuring an amazing array of bunking accommodations in virtually every country on earth. Second, if you do your homework, you can find places that delight the senses with cutting edge design, comfortable beds, rain showers, etc. etc. etc.. And third, your wallet and your bank account will love you for it. Our last adventure with AIRBNB was just outside of Carmel in an 850 square foot tricked out private guest house with a stunning view of the Pacific over Point Lobos State Park, considered to be the "Crown Jewel" of the California State Park System, for substantially less compared to other places in the area. The Post Ranch Inn, at $1,200 a night, is just down the road. So, if you are desirous of hard to find design quality for a romantic getaway or a family place with all the fixins', for a song - AIRBNB is worth a look.

THINK AND TRAVEL RICH YOU SAY - HOW YOU ASK?

HOMEWORK! Travel planning is a unique blend of vision, art, science and wit. If money is no object - cool. If, however, you don't want to get letters offering you a way to pay off your debt in three years or less, you have to work at creating the perfect sojourn. Of course, I spend countless hours researching and trying to spread the word so your life experiences on the road will be the best that they can be. You CAN have your cake and eat it too. And you won't be depressed when the bill arrives.

THE WORLD VS THE GOOD OLE USA
That's a tough one, isn't it? In my travel experiences, I can say, without hesitation, travel in Europe is always a transformative experience for me and mine. Visiting Europe makes you see the world and its people as never before. Watching old men playing bocce ball in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower or sitting in the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and hearing your son express that he has never seen anything like this, knowing that he will take this imagery and moment with him forever, or hearing your daughter talk to a cabbie as if she were a native Spaniard, makes you have a better understanding of "that other world". I am constantly intrigued by the many places in the world  I want to experience. I just hope I can get to half of them before I take the ultimate trip.

Of course, when it comes to The New World, the places you will discover in the greatest country on earth are really unequaled. Whether, it's the artful, ancient towns of Santa Fe and Taos, the Great White Way of New York or the bucolic beauty of the Pacific Coast,  America is the place that must be seen to be believed. So - Whether it's The States, Europe or other points north, south, east or west, your Bucket List will become your daily reminder to get on the road to the places that will expand your mind and open your heart.

MEMENTOS & ARTIFACTS

We have a Picasso inspired glass sculpture we purchased on the isle of Murano, a short boat ride from Venice. I never see that sculpture that it doesn't make me smile and think about our time in one of the truly great places on our dwindling planet. We have so many artifacts that remind us of places we have visited. When I visit someone's house, the stories behind the things they display are always fascinating because of the meaning those things have. So, make sure you bring back something that will make you remember and smile when the memory has faded.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST

Somebody, somewhere in your crew MUST keep a journal of your travels. It does take some discipline. I mean its hard to stop and write while your having fun or doing nothing on your favorite beach. But, write you must. I still drag my always less than complete journals out to remind myself of what we did, where we went and other expeiences and emotions that are not fit to print. A travel journal serves the same purpose as photographs - it can bring back floods of joy, laughter and emotions that are buried way back in your consciousness. And a final word on photographs. I have just rediscovered recently that an old box of photographs can take you back to places that you forgot even existed AND it can help you fill otherwise slack time with meaning.

And for those who need a little humor with their travel, here is a quick look at comedian Jim Gaffigan's take on the ultimate vacation for all Nomads with kids -  DISNEY.

SO FELLOW NOMADS - MAY YOUR TRAILS BE HAPPY AND YOUR PILLOWS BE SOFT.

See you on the road sometime!

d.l.stafford

THENOMADarchitect


P.S. It's back. That's right, Nomads. BLOGGER has decided to make the VIDEO BAR function again. It was down for it seemed like forever. But no more. I have renamed it TRAVEL MUSIC and this week's artist is Harry Connick Jr. with his latest killer project - That Would Be Me. Fantastico! Just click on the link at the top of the right margin to hear and see some great tunes from the man that plays like Monk and sings like Frank

HAPPY NEW YEAR - GET BUSY VAGABONDS!!!

That's right. Now that you have spent all the money and returned half the stuff you got from Santa, it's time to get serious. Revise that Bucket List and resolve to head for the four corners. Time does indeed move faster and faster. I will be sharing with you throughout the year what, I hope, will be erudite, urbane and witty commentaries on places to sleep, eat and just be - where design and uniqueness are at the top of  your list of criteria for such places. Somebody, probably a guy that was very lost, said that half the fun is getting there. But, once you get there, you want to be sure that there is, in fact, a there there.

That's what this blog, now entering its fifth year, is all about. Cool places and cool spaces do not happen by accident folks. It's like a song by Connick or a sketch by Matisse. Great design comes from a unique combination of vision, talent and hard work. And when its done right, you get to sit back and take it all in.

So repeat after me:

Design is good.
Small is better.
Different is even better.
Unique is really outstanding.
Serendipity is fantastic.
Travel to the unknown is utterly, absolutely life changing.

It may sound random, but, if you put all those thoughts in a TRAVEL MUG and stir it up - Well,  I  get goose bumps just thinking about it. Other than my lover, best friend, wife and travel muse for forty plus years and my amazing kids, nothing and no one has changed me like travel. So, get busy, get out the map and log on - you have work to do fellow vagabonds.

May your dreams come true in a place you never thought they would.

To kick off 2016 on a personal note, check out a photograph taken by my daughter from her seat on American Airlines coming home to God's Country for Christmas, with her cell phone no less! She's a born vagabond just like her old man.

Happy 2016 Travels To All Nomads, Vagabonds and Dreamers

d.l.stafford
thenomadARCHITECT

P.S.
New Year - New Header - No Charge

TODAY IS ALL ABOUT JOY - CHRIST IS BORN - SO SING, DANCE AND OTHERWISE MAKE NOMAD MAYEM FOR THIS SPECIAL DAY

No Christmas would be complete without today's Countdown song. Based on the English poem by Isaac Watts, published in 1719, Joy To The World was written to proclaim the joy of this day we celebrate the birth of the Living Christ.

NO. 1 ON THE 2015 CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN - JOY TO THE WORLD BY TWO CERTIFIED DIVAS AND ONE BY A GROUP OF KIDS THAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF.

From the a capella group that is currently storming its way around the world comes a one of a kind take on this Christmas Class - PENTATONIX does the classic with a new twist.

We lost this amazing voice, way to early. But, what she left us will never go away. Whitney Houston does Joy as only she could.



And finally - the one and only Mariah Carey, with a little help from a killer choir, blows the roof off of Saint John the Divine Cathedral New York.

So get on up Nomads - it's JOY all day and every day. CHRIST IS BORN!!

D.L.STAFFORD
thenomadARCHITECT

IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE & I WAS JUST THINKING - DON'T EVER STOP DREAMING - I MEAN WITHOUT DREAMS, WHAT IS THE POINT?

What is it about this time of year that  makes people like me want to wax eloquent? I think it's the spirit of the season. Today, while I was completing my annual wait until the absolute last minute shopping, every single person seemed to be in good spirits. A Merry Christmas here. A Have a Great Christmas there. And, even the pc Happy Holidays makes one feel better.


For a brief period of time we get to be with the ones that mean the most. And we can forget about the insanity in the world and the idiots that run our country right here at home. Plus, we get to open a present or two and see the utter magic of Christmas when the kids remind us that the love of Christmas has managed to endure because kids are always a joy - well, not always.

Well, guess what? I still dream like all the time, you know what I mean?. My bucket list keeps growing. The serendipity of life always amazes and changes us, if we let it. Like the song says - for kids from 1 to 92, Christmas is for dreamers. If you don't believe it, just set a spell and watch It's A Wonderful Life or Miracle On 34th Street. If those don't get you dreaming, that's on you my fellow nomad.

I truly hope this Christmas brings you the dreams of your heart. Please enjoy today's song and video as George Michael presents the beautiful and poignant December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas).

And just to show my fellow nomads that this dreaming thing is for real, here is the final scene from It's A Wonderful Life, when George realizes that his life does, indeed , have meaning. In fact, I think I am going to go watch it right now.



Merry Christmas - Do You Hear the Bells? Clarence Just Got His Wings- God Bless!

d.l.stafford
thenomadARCHITECT

A CAPELLA CHRISTMAS DONE RIGHT - SOMEBODY SAY AMEN!

Nobody, and I do mean nobody, has ever done a capella quite like TAKE 6. Combining gospel, jazz, r&b and pop, this group, with cues from the the great a capella quartet The Hi-Lo's, formed in 1953, took the concept of nothin' but voice to new heights. Their technical skill and vocal range, along with some of the most vocally challenging arrangements ever written, sets them apart from all other groups that perform this unique style of vocal music.

This multiple Dove and Grammy award winning sextet brings us an entirely new way of hearing  the story of The Night Before Christmas with  their version -  'Twas Da Night!

Another classic done as only TAKE 6 can do it - AMEN!

Just Makes You Feel Merry - Doesn't It?

d.l.stafford
THENOMADarchitect