Valley So Low: One Lawyer’s Fight for Justice in the Wake of America’s Great Coal Catastrophe (Knopf) by Jared Sullivan.

A riveting courtroom drama about one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history.

“Valley So Low is a ballad, yes, but it’s also an anthem. And a triumph.” —Margaret Renkl, author of The Comfort of Crows

For more than 50 years, a power plant in the small town of Kingston, Tennessee, burned fourteen thousand tons of coal a day, gradually creating a mountain of ashen waste 60 feet high and covering 84 acres, contained only by an earthen embankment.

In 2008, just before Christmas, that embankment broke, unleashing a lethal wave of coal sludge that covered 300 acres, damaged nearly 30 homes, and precipitating a cleanup effort that would cost more than $1 billion.

Jim Scott, a local personal-injury lawyer, agreed to represent the workers after they began to fall ill. The lawsuit that Scott pursued on the workers​’​​ behalf was described ​“​​​hillbilly lawyers​”​​ versus elite corporate defense attorneys.

With ​​suspense and ​rich ​detail, Jared Sullivan’s thrilling account lays bare the ​casual brutality of the American justice system​​.​

Jared Sullivan has written for The New Yorker, Time, Garden & Gun, and USA Today, and he previously worked as a writer and editor at Men’s Journal and Field & Stream.

He lives in Franklin, TN.

“You can’t paint the blues without the Primer.”

John Primer began his career migrating from Mississippi to Chicago and playing with the Junior Wells Band – seven nights a week for seven years!

Impressed, Willie Dixon hired Primer for his Chicago Blues All-Stars Band where Primer met and played with his idol, Muddy Waters.

Muddy had him lead his band and helped teach Primer slide guitar.

Primer toured the world, at one point, opening for the Rolling Stones and meeting and playing with the famous and infamous.

After Muddy’s untimely death in 1983, he joined up with Magic Slim & The Teardrops for the next 13 years.

In 1995, Primer began leading his own band, the Real Deal Blues Band.

His latest release is Slow Blues (Wolf Records) a 2-CD set with Magic Slim, and last year’s Crawlin’ Kingsnake with harmonica ace, Bob Corritore.

Primer is in the Blues Hall of Fame, has three Grammy Award nominations, two Lifetime Achievement Awards, a “Muddy Award” for being a Traditional Blues Icon, as well as Blues Music and Blues Blast Awards.

And he’s still rockin’!

Following his Thacker appearance, Primer and band will perform their full show at 8:30 pm at Proud Larry’s in Oxford: Buy tickets

Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, now based in New Orleans, Teneia Sanders is an award-winning, international touring musician with seven albums to her credit. Her latest releases are the single, Angry Man, and the album, Black Empress.

Her songs have been featured on HBO and Netflix and in the documentary, Prom Night in Mississippi, featuring Morgan Freeman.

She recently made her film producing debut with her film, Our Rebellious Hearts, which highlights three Black women who grew up playing their music in church.

Other prominent collaborations include the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra who performed her chamber choir piece, “Breathe,” with the Tougaloo College Concert Choir.

“With the skill of a jazz singer and a warm, disarming stage presence, Teneia can make her voice do just about anything — charm you into a hypnotic trance, make your heartbeat faster, or motivate you to get out of your chair and dance.” – David Accomazzo (Phoenix New Times)

Following her Thacker appearance, Teneia will perform on Friday, Nov. 8 at This Is Noteworthy, 16 S. Main St., Water Valley, MS.

FREE Admission! BYOB – Doors at 7 pm; show at 7:30 pm.

NOTE: This show is part of the Outside the Lines filmed music series.

Teneia Sanders Outside the Lines at This is Noteworthy | Facebook