Tim O'Brien and Sam Grisman at The Kent Stage November 20th

Grammy winning singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tim O’Brien grew up singing in church and in school. After seeing Doc Watson on TV, he became a lifelong devotee of old time and bluegrass music. Tim started touring nationally in1978 with Colorado bluegrass band Hot Rize. His songs “Walk the Way the Wind Blows” and “Untold Stories” were bluegrass hits for Hot Rize, and country hits for Kathy Mattea. Soon more artists like Nickel Creek, Garth Brooks, and The Dixie Chicks covered his songs. Over the years, Tim has recorded and toured with his sister Mollie O’Brien, songwriter Darrell Scott, old-time musician Dirk Powell, and his wife Jan Fabricius. Other collaborators include the Chieftains, Steve Earle, Mark Knopfler, Sturgill Simpson, Tom Paxton, and Billy Strings. Living in Nashville since 1996, O’Brien’s skills on guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and banjo make him an in-demand session player. The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awarded him song of the year in 2006 and named him best male vocalist in 1993 and 2006. He was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2013 and with Hot Rize, into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in 2022, and the IBMA Hall of Fame in 2025. Recent releases He Walked On and Cup of Sugar wove stories of everyday life into socially conscious themes. Paper Flowers, his 2025 duet release with Jan Fabricius narrated the couple’s life together. Other notable O’Brien recordings include the bluegrass Dylan covers of Red on Blonde, the Celtic-Appalachian fusion of The Crossing, and the Grammy winning folk of Fiddler’s Green. His duet with Darrell Scott, Real Time, is a cult favorite, and he won a bluegrass Grammy as part of The Earls of Leicester. The Tim O’Brien Songbook, coming in May of 2026, collects forty originals from his fifty plus years on the scene. Sam Grisman grew up in Mill Valley, California, in a household immersed in acoustic music, where his father, legendary mandolinist David Grisman, frequently hosted recording sessions with musicians like Doc Watson, Jerry Garcia, John Hartford, Mike Seeger, and Tony Rice From a young age, Sam was exposed to these masters, inspiring him to pursue music. According to family lore, his first word was “BASS!” and he began playing the instrument as soon as he could hold a half-size cello. He also explored the fiddle and started composing instrumental music in middle school. Grisman’s playing is characterized by a warm, supportive tone on the upright bass, emphasizing groove and musicality while complementing vocals and instrumental solos. He embraces a collaborative approach, often performing with a rotating lineup of musicians, and focuses on creating a shared musical experience for both performers and audiences. His style reflects a deep appreciation for improvisation and acoustic music, influenced by his father’s “Dawg music” and the broader bluegrass and folk traditions

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