RICHARD CHEESE's 12th album, originally released in 2011, now available on vinyl for the first time ever! A Lounge Supreme features 17 swingin' tracks performed with RC's special mix of music, martini, and madcap! The album includes swankified covers of songs by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, THE SMITHS, THE BLACK KEYS, DURAN DURAN, BLACK EYED PEAS, LMFAO, and LIONEL RICHIE, not necessarily in that order! And, don't miss RC's special 'Love Shack' duet with FRED SCHNEIDER of THE B-52's! TRACK LIST SIDE A 1. Killing In The Name (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE) 2. Tik Tok (KESHA) 3. How Soon Is Now (THE SMITHS) 4. Friday (REBECCA BLACK) 5. Let's Lounge (original song by RICHARD CHEESE) 6. Boom Boom Pow (BLACK EYED PEAS) 7. Hello (LIONEL RICHIE) 8. Shots (LMFAO) 9. Rio (DURAN DURAN) SIDE B 1. Richard Cheese's New Birthday Song (original song by RICHARD CHEESE) 2. Like A G6 (FAR EAST MOVEMENT) 3. Rock You Like A Hurricane (SCORPIONS) 4. Love Shack (duet with FRED SCHNEIDER of THE B-52's) 5. Margaritaville (JIMMY BUFFETT) 6. 'A Lounge Supreme' Spoken Credits (special thanks to our fans) 7. Careless Whisper (WHAM!) 8. Tighten Up (THE BLACK KEYS)

Tenor player Richard Torres was the premier solo voice in the Stan Kenton Orchestra for many years with a sound that is visceral, gutsy, modern, yet rooted in tradition, swing, boppin' humorous and playful, serious and soulful. This album features Richard and drummer Peter Erskine playing a collection of originals with a standard or two for good measure accompanied by Alan Pasqua on piano and Dave Carpenter on bass.

Principal cast: Ernestine Jackson (Ruth Younger); Ralph Carter (Travis Younger); Helen Martin (Mrs. Johnson); Joe Morton (Walter Lee Younger); Debbie Allen (Beneatha Younger); Virgina Capers (Mama Lena Younger); Robert Jackson (Joseph Asagai).
Recorded at Columbia Records 30th Street Studio, New York on October 27, 29 and November 2, 1973. Includes liner notes by Robert Brittan and Judd Woldin.
All songs written by Judd Woldin and Robert Brittan.
RAISIN opened at the 46th Street Theatre in New York on October 18, 1973 and ran for 847 performances, closing on December 8, 1975.

Richard Stoltzman's continuing exploration of the clarinet repertoire has yielded some uniquely enjoyable concerto recordings for RCA, of which the current issue is just the latest example. The disc opens with Lutoslawski's Dance Preludes, a brilliant and lively work of highly varied moods and styles ranging from somber chant to frenzied dancing. Stoltzman sounds as comfortable in each of these witty preludes as he would playing Mozart or Gershwin.


Nielsen's concerto always has been a formidable challenge for clarinetists, and, through its discursive one-movement form, for the listener as well. Happily, Stoltzman's pointed shaping of the musical material aids in the recognition of the various melodic lines, while his freewheeling virtuosity consistently commands attention. Still, Olle Schill's stunningly recorded daredevil performance on BIS remains the Nielsen concerto of choice.


Probably the most interesting item on the program is Kent Kennan's recasting of Prokofiev's Flute Sonata as a concerto for clarinet and orchestra. Kennan succeeds admirably in approximating a real Prokofiev orchestral sound and his arrangement sheds new light on the work's subtle beauties. Indeed the finale, with its judicious use of timpani, seems to improve upon the original. Stoltzman certainly sounds convinced, and you can appreciate in his performance that sense of satisfaction at discovering a new classic. Lawrence Leighton Smith and the Warsaw Philharmonic provide handsomely played and truly collaborative accompaniments. RCA's recording is rather flat in perspective, but allows all of Stoltzman's infectious playing to be clearly heard. A desirable disc, and not just for clarinet fans.
--Victor Carr Jr, ClassicsToday.com

This volume of Richard Hickox's ongoing series of recordings of the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams gathers some of the composer's works related to his opera 'The Pilgrim's Progress.' The opening work has an obvious connection, as a setting of a speech of one of John Bunyan's characters. The disc's centerpiece, the Fifth Symphony, was begun in 1938 using themes from the opera, which Vaughan Williams feared might not be performed. The remaining semi-religious works are in somewhat the same spiritual vein.
Although the entire program is well-performed, the Symphony stands out beyond mere length. Hickox and the London Symphony play their hearts out, bringing some of Vaughan William's best music to exquisite life. The stunningly beautiful Romanza and final Passacaglia alone make this disc well worth the price. Add three premiere recordings (including "The Pilgrim Pavement," composed for the Dedication of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City) and vivid recording, and the result--like the discs which preceded it--is no less than essential.