Alex Smith with Jacob Brillhart
Saturday, August 12 at 7:30pm
Folk singer Alex Smith builds songs from stories that are neither contrived nor romanticized – simply keenly observed and honestly told. Smith sings with a rich baritone often compared to Stan Rogers and Gordon Lightfoot, and his characters live and breathe a balance between beauty and imperfection. Chris Wienk of 97.7 WEXT (Albany, NY) says: “Alex Smith brings a fresh look and sound to an old art form, presenting the folk song to the 21st century listener with captivating original songs that feel both old and new at the same time”.
Smith is joined by Jacob Brillhart, a Cape Breton and Scottish style fiddler.
Smith grew up in Long Lake, in the heart of New York's Adirondack Park, and his music strives first and foremost to echo the people of that area. He builds songs from a blend of traditional folk harmony and strikingly modern lyrics, confronting today's most pressing issues with grace while paying homage to the masters who came before him. Bob Everhart, of the National Traditional Country Music Association, says "Alex is a wonderful poetic writer who captures words full of meaning, matching them with creative music that creeps quietly into the past at the same time as dancing with the present and sneaking a peek at the future."
Smith fine-tuned his ability to observe and capture human nature while studying English, and specifically fiction writing, at St. Lawrence University. He soon signed with acclaimed folk label Wepecket Island Records and has been touring nationally with his band The Mountain Sound ever since. He has been featured on the Emmy-Award winning documentary “Songs To Keep” alongside Pete Seeger, Peter Yarrow, and Dan Berggren, has received extensive radio play nationwide, and was awarded an NTCMA Award for his 2013 release ‘Hamilton County'.
“With a voice as deep and dark as an Irish Stout, and acoustic arrangements that wind and curve as if following the course of a river, Alex Smith exemplifies our cultural ideal of what a folk singer should be.” – The Columbia Tribune (Columbia, MO)
Jacob Brillhart grew up in rural Vermont playing Cape Breton and Scottish style tunes on his grandfather's fiddle. After graduating college – where he met and began touring with Smith – Brillhart moved to Boston where he now studies violin making with master maker Roman Barnas. He teaches fiddle lessons and tours with other groups including his family band Banish Misfortune. Brillhart has now retired his grandfather's fiddle and performs instead on violins he has built himself.
This event is a part of Vermont Arts 2017, celebrating arts in Vermont.
Tickets are $20 with a pre-concert dinner available for $25. Reservations are required for dinner and recommended for the show. Venue is BYOB. Call (802) 247-4295 or e-mail us for reservations or more information.
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Phone: 802-247-4295
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