Tim O’Brien w/ Jan Fabricius

Born in Wheeling, West Virginia on March 16, 1954, Grammy winning singer songwriter and multi instrumentalist Tim O’Brien grew up singing in church and in school. Gaining attention in the 1980’s with Colorado’s Hot Rize, O’Brien scored a country hit with Kathy Mattea’s cover of his song Walk The Way The Wind Blows in 1986. Soon artists like Nickel Creek and Garth Brooks also covered his songs. Collaborators include his sister Mollie O’Brien, old time musician Dirk Powell and songwriter Darrell Scott, as well as Steve Earle, Bill Frisell, Mark Knopfler and Sturgill Simpson. O’Brien formed his own record label, Howdy Skies Records, in 1999, and launched the digital download label Short Order Sessions (SOS) with his partner Jan Fabricius in 2015.

O’Brien says his most recent recording “He Walked On” is about “what you need to do to survive in America”. Covering work, racial issues, and modern technology, its eight originals and five covers offer an expansive portrayal of the nation from its beginnings to the present day, Personnel includes long time band mates Mike Bub (bass), Shad Cobb (fiddle) and Jan Fabricius (mandolin and vocal), along with drummer Pete Abbott, bassist Edgar Meyer, guitarist Bo Ramsey, and gospel singer Odessa Settles.

Other notable O’Brien recordings like the bluegrass Dylan covers of “Red On Blonde” and the Celtic-Appalachian fusion of “The Crossing” led to Grammy winning CD’s “Fiddler’s Green” (2005) and “The Earls of Leicester” (2014). 2017’s Where the River Meets the Road paid tribute to the music of his native West Virginia. Tim O’Brien performs in a duet setting with his partner Jan Fabricius on harmony vocals. Featuring his solid guitar, fiddle, and mandolin, the shows cover a range of original compositions and traditional arrangements mixed with stories and Tim’s self-deprecating humor.

Jan Fabricius grew up in WaKeeney, Kansas. Her early influences include Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Hot Rize, New Grass Revival, Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell and Norman Blake. A Registered Nurse, she raised 2 sons and has 3 granddaughters. She started dating Tim O’Brien in 2011 and in 2013 moved to Nashville.

The two played fiddle tunes and bluegrass songs around home, and when Tim made his recording “Pompadour” in 2015, Jan sang background vocals on several songs and was soon singing on stage with Tim. Her vocals and mandolin have since been featured on 2017’s “Where the River Meets the Road”, 2019’s “Tim O’Brien Band”, and 2021’s “He Walked On”.