Paul Burch’s 2016 album, Meridian Rising, was an imagined musical autobiography of American music pioneer, Jimmie Rodgers.

Now, Burch has expanded the album into a novel, a rollicking bio-fictional tale, Meridian Rising (University of Georgia Press).

Burch is also celebrating the Oct. 10 release of a new album, Cry Love.

Cry Love features Paul’s longtime band the WPA Ballclub featuring multi-instrumentalist Fats Kaplin (Jack White, Mitski).

Meridian Rising imagines how Rodgers might have recalled his early days in 1900 Meridian, Mississippi all the way through his colorful (to say the least) show business career to his death from tuberculosis at age 35.

In 1900, Meridian was a thriving railroad hub that saw 40 trains a day; had pro baseball (the Meridian Mets of the Cotton States League), two segregated Carnegie libraries, and fine department stores like Winner & Kline’s and Marks Rothenberg,

Meridian Rising is a brilliant literary puzzle, blending history and fiction to create a vibrant alternative life-tale of Jimmie Rodgers, an entertainer Howling Wolf called “my man that I really dug.”

Paul’s previous albums include Last of My Kind, a companion to Tony Earley’s best-selling novel Jim the Boy.

His album, Light Sensitive, received 4-star reviews in American Songwriter, No Depression, and All Music and was named “Best of Nashville” by the Nashville Scene.

Burch lives in Nashville.

Photo: Mark Yacovone

Edna Nicole is a singer, songwriter (and published author!) from Clarksdale, MS.

Her recent single is “Delta Dirt.”

Her book, The Journey, is an oral history of the struggles and triumphs of women in the North Mississippi region.

Edna can currently be heard on “Ready For Times to Get Better,” a track on the latest album by blues harmonica great, Charlie Musselwhite, Look Out Highway.

She is also fresh from a well-received performance in front of a jam-packed, international crowd at Red’s Juke Joint in Clarksdale.

Her set was part of the festivities in Clarksdale surrounding the screening of the hit film, Sinners. Edna earned a special shout out from the Oxford American.

https://oxfordamerican.org/oa-now/sinners-comes-home-to-clarksdale

A mother of three, Edna is also the owner of Suga Mama’s Sweets in Oxford.

Rev. Slim, of Grenada, MS, grew up steeped in gospel, later honing his craft in music education before taking his talents around the world.

With a vast catalog and a reputation for authenticity and humor, he bridges genres and generations through his music.

Oakwalker is a Memphis-based pop Americana duo that has blossomed into a full-band experience, led by the pairing of Victoria Dowdy (guitar, vocals) and Ethan Baker (violin).

Their latest release is the album, Tiger Sun Moon.

Past releases include a four-song eponymous EP in 2022 as well as singles Alone in My Mind, Future Lover, and LoveLier.

Listeners may recall Victoria from her previous appearance on Thacker as part of the trio, Wildwood Reverie, with Montana Jones and Rachel Maxann.