Hey Edge of the West family and friends,

Americana songwriter Vince Vanguard longed to record and release a solo album for years. The irony here being he actually owned a recording studio and ran his own production company—his dream was literally at his fingertips. Sadly, he was a casualty of the musician’s overindulgent lifestyle.

The Pinkerton Raid—project of Durham, N.C., singer, songwriter & guitarist Jesse James DeConto—is gearing up to release new album The Highway Moves The World on Dec. 2. In advance, DeConto is offering a preview of the title track, which is the sonic and thematic linchpin for this new set of songs.

On the eastern edge of the grand prairie lies Camp-Shaw-Waw-Nas-See, near the Kankakee River State Park, 60 miles south of Chicago. It is the host site for Shoe Fest, a location almost as storied in beauty as Nelson Ledges Quarry Park in Ohio.  Labor Day weekend 2022 meant the 10-year anniversary of Shoe Fest at Camp Shaw-Waw-Nas-See. It is a family-friendly festival in the finest of natural surroundings and its success depends on the work of all the players, including Rock Creek.

After over two and a half years, the jam band super group Ghost Light finally returned to the New York City metro area last week. This absence was not by choice, as COVID-19 forced many cancellations for this band, including a 2022 winter tour that included an appearance at the iconic Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn, NY. This quintet of all-star musicians took the delays in stride, and used the time to record their sophomore album, The Healing.

Rhiannon Giddens’ tremendous 2022 continues today with the release of her book debut - Build A House - illustrated by Monica Mikai and published by Candlewick Press. The picture book was inspired by and features the lyrics of, a song that Giddens wrote and recorded with Yo-Yo Ma to commemorate Juneteenth in 2020. A newly recorded version of “Build A House” has been released today on Nonesuch, listen here: https://rhiannongiddens.lnk.to/buildahouse

The Caverns hosted its very own festival last weekend, CaveFest, which attracted over 4,000 guests per day from every one of the lower 48 states.

"CaveFest was an enchanting weekend of music and food, and family and friends," says Todd Mayo, The Caverns owner. "It was epic and looking forward to doing it again (and again)."

Award-winning folk and blues singer/songwriter/guitarist Linda Sussman has released a compelling new single in defense of women’s rights: “A Power You’ll Never Know.” Just a few months earlier, Sussman dropped her fourth full-length album in five years, titled “Shake It Loose Today,” which quickly climbed to

A new GoFundMe has been launched to benefit legendary tour manager Dave Burton after he suffered a massive stroke while working in Louisville, KY last month. The Dave Burton Recovery Fund has already raised more than $85,000 towards his medical expenses and ongoing care. To donate, please visit www.gofundme.com/f/dave-burton-recovery-fund.

Tune -in later today to watch an acoustic live performance from The White Buffalo Live on Paste magazine’s “Paste Studio On The Road.” For the episode, The White Buffalo, aka Jake Smith drops into Paste Studio at the Rebels & Renegades Festival in Monterey, CA for a stripped-down performance and interview. Watch the performance Saturday, October 15, LIVE at 1:30p PT streaming via Paste, HERE.