Singer songwriter Alex Smith and fiddler Jacob Brillhart bring their unique blend of folk music to the Burnham Music series on Saturday, Feb. 10 in Lincoln.
Smith grew up in Long Lake, in the rural heart of New York’s Adirondack Park, and his music strives first and foremost to echo the people and culture of that area. He builds songs from a blend of traditional folk harmony and strikingly modern lyrics, confronting today’s most pressing issues with a style of honest and accurate observation.
His mother is a historian and his father is a writer and boat builder. Their influence is evident in Smith’s attention to detail. His stories draw on the triumphs and hardships of friends, relatives and neighbors near and far.
Smith plays nearly 200 a shows a year.  In the fall of 2012, at the close of his first extensive summer tour, Smith signed with folk label Wepecket Island Records. He has since toured internationally both solo and with his band The Mountain Sound, been featured on Emmy-Award winning documentary “Songs To Keep” alongside Pete Seeger, Peter Yarrow and Dan Berggren, won an NTCMA award for his record “Hamilton County,” and received extensive radio play nationwide.
When he’s not on the road, Smith splits his time between the Adirondacks and Leicester. His second studio album, “Hamilton County,” was released in June 2014 and was quickly followed by “Close to Home” in the spring of 2015.  “Live from Caffe Lena” was recorded in March of 2017 and will be Smith’s next release.
Fiddler 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 folk singer Alex Smith — Brillhart moved to Boston where he now studies violin making with master maker Roman Barnas. Brillhart continues to play with Smith, while also teaching fiddle lessons and gigging with other groups.
Brillhart has now retired his grandfather’s fiddle and performs instead on violins he has built himself. Whether playing traditional Celtic tunes or contemporary folk music, you’re bound to find the “Gaelic” in Jacob’s playing.
Saturday’s performance takes place at Burnham Hall, 52 River Road in Lincoln. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults; teens and kids are free. Refreshments will be served. For more information, cal (802) 388-6863.