A long-dormant cinematic work born during the golden era of large-scale television documentary production is being reimagined for America’s 250th anniversary. Progressive rock pioneers Happy the Man have been recording and developing Fourth of July: An American Suite, a large-scale musical work composed by Ron Riddle — originally created in the 2000s during Riddle’s years scoring television for Discovery Channel and TLC. The music traces its origins to the landmark Houston fireworks spectacular featured in the television series Detonators, where Riddle served as composer for the series. At the time, the Houston event was widely recognized as one of the largest fireworks productions in America, combining massive pyrotechnic displays with live-event drama on an enormous scale. Written to accompany both the spectacle and the emotional tension behind the production itself, the music moved fluidly between progressive rock, orchestral passages, cinematic Americana, and rhythmically driven soundtrack composition. Several of the progressive sections...

Brand new definitive reissues remastered by Ray Staff at Air London. 'Happy the Man' find here: https://ffm.to/happytheman-happytheman 'Crafty Hands' find here: https://ffm.to/happytheman-craftyhands In the mid-1970s, a band emerged which set the bar against which nearly all American progressive rock would be measured in the decades that followed. The Washington, D.C.-based quintet called themselves Happy the Man—a name drawn from Goethe’s Faust (and echoed in the Bible’s Ecclesiastes 3:12). The name was apt: philosophically rich yet deceptively simple. Their music was both cerebral and joyous, technically demanding yet full of human warmth. Happy the Man did not see complexity as an end in itself—it was simply the language they spoke. Their compositions flowed with an organic elegance, fusing the sophistication of European prog with the elasticity of jazz fusion and the cinematic sweep of impressionist composers.The classic Happy the Man lineup featured Frank Wyatt on woodwinds and keyboards; Kit Watkins on...

Rissi Palmer is featured in Billboard magazine's interview with the incredible Linda Martell. Martell covers everything from her early career, candidly recounts obstacles she faced along the way and talks about involvement in Cowboy Carter with Beyoncé and more! Link to the full article: https://www.billboard.com/music/country/linda-martell-beyonce-color-me-country-interview-1235678694/ "Linda Martell has always resonated with me personally because her story is so many of our stories, which is why I named my show after her," says artist Rissi Palmer, who hosts Apple Music's influential Color Me Country Radio program. "She didn't ask for all the politics - she just wanted to sing. Period. I admire her grace under pressure, focus to stay the course and the way she advocated for herself against a manager and record producer who were interested in gimmicks and not creating a lasting career for her." - Rissi Palmer

Stream Here A special episode highlighting music news from February 2024, featuring host Charlie Peacock and a panel of experts, Tracy Gershon, Rissi Palmer, and Swagg R'Celious. Welcome to a special episode of Music & Meaning, in which host Charlie Peacock welcomes not one, not two, but three music industry guests!  Their conversation covers the 2024 Grammy Awards, including the performances by Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs, Joni Mitchell’s appearance, and Victoria Monáe winning Best Artist of the Year. They discuss Taylor Swift’s announcement of her new album during her acceptance speech, Jay-Z’s speech about Beyoncé, and how the Grammy’s handle gender and race.  The group also talks about Black artists in country music, Universal Music Group pulling their songs off of TikTok, and Usher’s Super Bowl performance. The conversation also touches on artificial intelligence in the music industry, how artists make money (or don’t), and their favorite musicians. Check it out here!