PRESTIGE COLLECTION

In addition to appearing as a sideman with Blue Note organists Baby Face Willette & Big John Patton, the brawny tenor saxophonist Fred Jackson also cut his soulful leader debut for the label in 1962. Hootin' 'N Tootin' features organist Earl Van Dyke, guitarist Willie Jones and drummer Wilbert Hogan. This stereo Blue Note Tone Poet Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.

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.

Naxos celebrates the immigrant experience with the release of Peter Boyer’s Ellis Island: The Dream of America, an ambitious work combining spoken word performances of actual Ellis Island immigrant stories with powerful orchestral music. Performed by London’s renowned Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Boyer, this recording features a cast of Oscar-, Emmy-, and Tony-winning actors: Barry Bostwick, Blair Brown, Olympia Dukakis, Anne Jackson, Bebe Neuwirth, Eli Wallach, and Louis Zorich, directed by Tony- and Grammy-winning Martin Charnin.

Boyer fashioned the seven monologues of Ellis Island: Dream of America from interviews in the Ellis Island Oral History Project with actual immigrants who came to the United States between 1910-1940, weaving a dramatic orchestral tapestry around their true stories. The work concludes with a reading of the Emma Lazarus poem The New Colossus (“Give me your tired, your poor…”), an emotionally powerful ending to this celebration of our nation of immigrants.

Ellis Island: The Dream of America was premiered by the Hartford Symphony Orchestra in April 2002 to great acclaim, and its many subsequent performances have also received enthusiastic responses. Gerald Moshell of the Hartford Courant described the first performance as “a searing emotional experience” while Harold McNeil of the Buffalo News described the piece as “at turns, horrifying, whimsical and heart-rending. But it’s always palpably engaging ...”

Peter Boyer is emerging as one of the most successful young American orchestral composers, with nearly 100 orchestral performances of his work to date. In addition to his work for the concert hall, Boyer is active in the film and television industry and is on the faculty of Claremont Graduate University.

The suite is made up of the following sections:

1. Prologue 06:09
2. Words of Helen Cohen, emigrated from Poland in 1920, read by Blair Brown 02:37
3. Interlude 1 01:24
4. Words of James Apanomith, emigrated from Greece in 1911, read by Louis Zorich 02:43
5. Interlude 2 02:07
6. Words of Lillian Galleta, emigrated from Italy in 1928, read by Olympia Dukakis 03:32
7. Interlude 3 01:33
8. Words of Lazarus Salamon, emigrated from Hungary in 1920, read by Eli Wallach 04:16
9. Interlude 4 01:56
10. Words of Helen Rosenthal, emigrated from Belgium in 1940, read by Bebe Neuwirth 04:27
11. Interlude 5 01:01
12. Words of Manny Steen, emigrated from Ireland in 1925, read by Barry Bostwick 04:42
13. Interlude 6 02:24
14. Words of Katherine Beychook, emigrated from Russia in 1910, read by Anne Jackson 02:53
15. Epilogue: "The New Colossus" (Emma Lazarus, 1883), read by all actors 01:50

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REVIEW:

Peter Boyer's Ellis Island: The Dream of America will not surprise or disappoint anyone looking for a straightforward presentation piece in the American populist vein, à la Copland's A Lincoln Portrait. Indeed, the music is so openly tonal, melodic, and richly orchestrated; the attitude so noble and patriotic; and the subject matter so emotionally compelling, it would be surprising and disappointing if Boyer had not followed Copland's example, and had set these authentic immigrant narratives from the Ellis Island Oral History Project in anything less than an accessible, American vernacular style. Yet it is the texts, not the music, which matter most in this work, and listeners will find the effective but expectedly epic score less absorbing than the absorbing performances by actors Blair Brown, Louis Zorich, Olympia Dukakis, Eli Wallach, Bebe Neuwirth, Barry Bostwick, and Anne Jackson, who deliver the historic accounts with believable characterizations and genuine emotions. Of course, any invocation of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty must include a recitation of Emma Lazarus' "The New Colossus," which is passionately read at the work's conclusion by the cast against the stirring, anthemic accompaniment of the Philharmonia Orchestra. Naxos provides excellent sound, though it is fairly loud in places.

– All Music Guide

Classical Music

Classical Opera continue their series of the complete Mozart operas on Signum with Zaide - a new completion of Mozart's unfinished work by conductor Ian Page. Composed during his early 20's, Mozart began work on the opera in Salzburg but later left the work to compose Idomeneo, subsequently leaving no overture or third act. The opera is set in a totalitarian regime where a couple have fallen in love, incurring the jealous of the ruling sultan.

Composers include Robert Anderson, C. Coleman, Fanel Cornelius, Thomas A. Dorsey, Robert Fryson, G. Haenssler, Brendan Keeley, Robert McGimsey, Lars Morlid, Kenneth Morris, Lukas Di Nunzio, Peter Sandwall, Felicia Taylor, Ken Taylor, Leon Taylor and Lee Weisman. Lyricists include James Waddell Alexander, Robert Anderson, Anonymous, Bible - Old Testament, C. Coleman, Thomas A. Dorsey, G. Haenssler, Lars Morlid and also includes such artists as Choralerna, the Golden Gate Quartet, Mahalia Jackson, Soul Affair, Tullamore Gospel Choir, Brendan Keeley and more.

This disc received the 2001 Gramophone magazine award for "Best Chamber Recording."

BLISS: Oboe Quintet / Piano Quartet / Viola Sonata

Classical Music

Classical Music

Includes work(s) by Judith Bingham. Ensembles: BBC Symphony Chorus, Fine Arts Brass Ensemble. Conductor: Stephen Jackson. Soloist: Thomas Trotter.

Deluxe CD/DVD Edition of Michael Jackson's revolutionary 1979 recording Off The Wall includes the original album bundled with the new documentary Michael Jackson s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall, directed by Spike Lee. The deluxe softpak includes a 16-page booklet containing a new essay and photography plus a piece of chalk and inside panels with a chalkboard finish. The importance of Michael Jackson's Off the Wall cannot be overstated. Recorded when he was just 20-years-old, the album heralded Michael's emancipation as a singular musical force and creative visionary. It's the record that "invented modern pop as we know it" according to Rolling Stone magazine. It smashed the ceiling on record sales for black artists, ushering in an exciting new era of R&B-to-pop crossover airplay, chart, marketing and sales trends not seen before in modern pop music. For Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall, director Spike Lee assembles a wealth of archival footage, including material from Michael's personal archive, interviews with contemporary talents and family members, and Michael�s own words and image to create this insightful chronicle from the star's early rise to fame through the release of this seminal album. A look at a chapter of his career that is rarely examined, Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall allows audiences to travel with Michael as he gets his start at Motown, strikes a new path with CBS Records, and forges a relationship with legendary producer Quincy Jones. An illuminated portrait emerges of how an earnest, passionate, hard-working boy would become the "King of Pop."

Barthold Heinrich Brockes wrote a libretto on the Passion of Christ – based on the account in Matthew’s Gospel – which was set to music by many composers of his time, including Reinhard Keiser, Georg Philip Telemann and George Frideric Handel. It is Handel’s version of the latter that the period-instrument ensemble Arcangelo has chosen to present here. Under the direction of Jonathan Cohen, these specialists in the Baroque repertory are joined by the voices of Sandrine Piau, whose numerous Handel recordings are regarded as a benchmark, the tenor Stuart Jackson and the baritone Konstantin Krimmel, recently revealed in a debut recital for Alpha (Saga, ALPHA549). Together they resurrect the operatic splendor of a work that was first performed in 1719 and is thought to have influenced numerous passages of J. S. Bach’s St John Passion, written a few years later.

REVIEW:

Conductor Jonathan Cohen is working with excellent soloists. They're led by soprano Sandrine Piau, who has a crushing 14 arias and brings personality to each one. Tenor Stuart Jackson has a big, exciting voice, and baritone Konstantin Krimmel is splendid in his duet with Mary Bevan. The oratorio also has smaller solo roles, here taken by members of the choir, and all are well handled.

– AllMusicGuide.com (James Manheim)

Deluxe CD/Blu-Ray Edition of Michael Jackson's revolutionary 1979 recording Off The Wall includes the original album bundled with the new documentary Michael Jackson�s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall, directed by Spike Lee. The deluxe softpak includes a 16-page booklet containing a new essay and photography plus a piece of chalk and inside panels with a chalkboard finish. The importance of Michael Jackson's Off the Wall cannot be overstated. Recorded when he was just 20-years-old, the album heralded Michael's emancipation as a singular musical force and creative visionary. It's the record that "invented modern pop as we know it" according to Rolling Stone magazine. It smashed the ceiling on record sales for black artists, ushering in an exciting new era of R&B-to-pop crossover airplay, chart, marketing and sales trends not seen before in modern pop music. For Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall, director Spike Lee assembles a wealth of archival footage, including material from Michael's personal archive, interviews with contemporary talents and family members, and Michael�s own words and image to create this insightful chronicle from the star's early rise to fame through the release of this seminal album. A look at a chapter of his career that is rarely examined, Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall allows audiences to travel with Michael as he gets his start at Motown, strikes a new path with CBS Records, and forges a relationship with legendary producer Quincy Jones. An illuminated portrait emerges of how an earnest, passionate, hard-working boy would become the "King of Pop."

Limited vinyl LP repressing in gatefold jacket. Off the Wall is the fifth solo studio album by Michael Jackson. It was released on August 10, 1979, following Jackson's critically well-received film performance in The Wiz. While working on that project, Jackson and Quincy Jones had become friends, and Jones agreed to work with Jackson on his next studio album. Recording sessions took place between December 1978 and June 1979 at Allen Zentz Recording, Westlake Recording Studios, and Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles, California. Jackson collaborated with a number of other writers and performers such as Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Rod Temperton. Five singles were released from the album. It was his first solo release under Epic Records, the label he would record on until his death roughly 30 years later.

Limited vinyl LP repressing in gatefold jacket. Thriller is the sixth solo studio album by Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on November 30, 1982, as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off The Wall. Thriller explores similar genres to those of Off The Wall, including pop, post-disco, rock and funk. Recording sessions took place on April to November 1982 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles with a production budget of $750, 000, assisted by producer Quincy Jones. Seven singles were released from the album, all of which reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. In just over a year, Thriller became-and currently remains-the best-selling album of all time, with estimated sales of 65 million copies worldwide. It has become the first album ever to be certified 32 times multi-platinum for U.S. sales, marking more than 32 million sales shipped. The album won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards in 1984, including for Album of the Year.

Limited vinyl LP repressing in gatefold jacket. Bad is the seventh solo studio album by Michael Jackson. It was released on August 31, 1987, nearly five years after Jackson's previous studio album, Thriller. Bad was recorded during the first half of 1987. The lyrical themes on the record relate to media bias, paranoia, racial profiling, romance, self-improvement and world peace. The album is widely regarded as having cemented Jackson's status as one of the most successful artists of the 1980s, as well as enhancing his solo career and being one of the best musical projects of his career. Five of the singles hit #1 in the United States, while a sixth charted within the Top Ten, and a seventh charted within the Top Twenty on the Hot 100. Bad peaked at #1 in thirteen countries and charted within the Top Twenty in other territories.

Double vinyl LP pressing. Dangerous is the eighth studio album by Michael Jackson. It was released on November 26, 1991 by Epic Records. His first album under his new contract with Sony Music, it was also Jackson's first album since 1975's Forever, Michael not to be produced by longtime collaborator Quincy Jones, who had agreed to split after the final recording sessions for Jackson's 1987 album, Bad. Dangerous has sold over 35 million copies worldwide, 7 million albums were shipped in the United States alone, and has been cited as one of the best-selling albums of all time. The album produced four Top Ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 including one number-one. Similar to the musician's previous material, the album's music features elements of R&B, pop and rock while also incorporating a newer genre, new jack swing, after the inclusion of producer Teddy Riley to the project in a bid to present Jackson to a younger urban audience. Jackson earned writing credits on all but two tracks on the album. Dangerous received several Grammy nominations, winning only one for Best Engineered Album. In addition to commercial success, the album received critical acclaim from contemporary critics.

The most prolific hit maker of all time returns with an album of truly greatest hits. The album consists of all 17 #1s and brand new song, "One More Chance." Michael is among a few artists who can so an album of #1s. The compilation will comtain some of the famous sons of all time Including "Rock with You," "Billy Jean," and "Black Or White".

Fern Hill is a blithe poem, yet touched by darkness; time finally holds the poet "green and dying"... Poem in October begins in Thomas' seafront town: The poet, marking his birthday, climbs to a high hill, where he reflects on his youth.

A WQXR-FM Best Classical Recording for 2019

Twentieth-century African American composer Margaret Bonds receives long overdue recognition with the world premiere recording of her crowning achievement, The Ballad of the Brown King. With an expressly written libretto by Bonds’ friend Langston Hughes, this Christmas cantata which focuses on Balthazar, the dark-skinned king who journeyed to Bethlehem to witness the birth of Jesus Christ, is beautifully interpreted by New York City-based The Dessoff Choirs and Orchestra, outstanding soloists soprano Laquita Mitchell, mezzo-soprano Lucia Bradford and tenor Noah Stewart, under the baton of their charismatic conductor, Malcolm J. Merriweather. Bonds authority Dr. Ashley Jackson contributes the inspired liner notes. This unique seasonal album also includes a selection of specially arranged songs, including a setting of Hughes’ seminal poem I, Too, Sing America, performed by baritone Merriweather and Jackson on solo harp.

REVIEW:

Nearly 60 years after its premiere, conductor Malcolm J. Merriweather and the phenomenal New York-based Dessoff Choirs have at last provided a way experience Margaret Bonds’ genius cantata, The Ballad of the Brown King. After luxuriating in this sumptuous setting of the Nativity story (with a libretto by Langston Hughes), be sure to listen to Bonds’ heart-rending Three Dream Portraits, sung forcefully by Merriweather himself.

–WQXR-FM (105.9 FM, NYC - Zev Kane)

This re-release of Herbert Howells’ Hymnus Paradisi and A Kent Yeoman’s Wooing Song forms part of the new Hickox Legacy series commemorating the life and career of that great conductor. Mestro Richard Hickox’s lifelong commitment to British music in general is well-known, as is his work with the challenging, intricate music of Howells. This disc displays extremes of Howells’ emotional language - from the intense and powerful Hymnus to the sprightly and rather flirtatious Wooing Song – communicated masterfully by Hickox and his associates.

Limited 4xLP This Is It: The Movie is made up of intimate and spectacular footage filmed during rehearsals for Jackson's proposed July 2009 comeback shows. When he died in June of 2009, he left behind hundreds of hours of footage, which have been edited together to create a glorious tribute to his majestic talents. Disc One features some of his biggest hits sequenced in the same order as they appear in the film.

BAX: String Quartet No. 3 / Lyrical Interlude