Grammy-winner Tim O'Brien and Jan Fabricius, his wife and musical partner, are releasing their first true collaborative album, Paper Flowers, today on Howdy Skies Records. The duo enlisted folk great Tom Paxton, who co-wrote 12 of the album's 15 original songs. While the album chronicles "their story," the songs range from humorous — a Texas armadillo finds himself in their Nashville yard and is not a fan of Music City — to autobiographical; Tim sent Jan paper flowers when they were first courting, as paper flowers last forever. They recorded the album at Cowboy Arms in Nashville with Tim on guitar and vocal and Jan on mandolin and vocal, along with longtime collaborators Mike Bub (bass), Mike Rojas (accordion), Justin Moses (resophonic guitar), and Larry Atamanuik (drums).
"Jan and I started weekly co-writing sessions with Tom in the spring of 2023 and 12 of songs on our album come from those Wednesday afternoon Zooms. It's our first real collaborative project, and a narrative of Jan’s and my life together runs through the record, from courtship to growing old together, with a road trip, the Armadillo, and a granddaughter’s wedding in between."
While Tim O’Brien might operate a bit under music business radar, but he’s been an essential part of the fabric of the folk, bluegrass, Americana, and songwriter scenes for the past 50 years. Since his emergence as singer, instrumentalist, and songwriter with the iconic 1980’s bluegrass group Hot Rize, the West Virginia native has continued down a diverse and constantly evolving musical pathway. In the process he’s written songs for people like Garth Brooks and the Dixie Chicks, released rootsy classics like Red on Blonde and The Crossing and earned a few Grammy awards. He was recently tapped to join Steve Martin and Alison Brown for a new single, "5 Days Out, Two Days Back."
STREAM/ PURCHASE PAPER FLOWERS HERE
RECENT PRAISE FOR PAPER FLOWERS
O’Brien possesses a warm, reassuring baritone and his and Fabricius’s voices fit together hand-in-glove when they duet." —Bluegrass Unlimited
"The married musicians contemplate the passage of time through semi-autobiographical lyrics and surprising compositions...this is a highly listenable set that can go to unexpected places."
—Wall Street Journal
"The album is just wonderful! I am proud to be a part of it. All I want is to carry on with this. Yodel on!"
—Tom Paxton
"Vocally, O’Brien has never sounded better and likewise that goes for Paper Flowers too. Fabricius lends stellar harmony vocals." —The Rocking Magpie
"I’m mighty excited for Tim O’Brien’s beautiful, introspective new record ‘Paper Flowers.’ Along with partner Jan Fabricius, Tim weaves an even more heartfelt song cycle than usual, full of soulful balladry and thoughtful notions of love, loss, and learning. Run out, get you a copy, and crank up one of the prettiest sounding new records to come out of Nashville this year."
— Ketch Secor, Old Crow Medicine Show
TOUR DATES:
6/11 The Station Inn - Nashville TN
6/20 Telluride Bluegrass Festival - Telluride CO
6/21 Telluride Bluegrass Festival - Telluride CO
8/14 Tin Pan - Richmond VA
8/15 The Barns at Rose Hill - Berryville VA
8/16 Philadelphia Folk Festival - Harleysville PA
8/17 Rams Head On Stage – Annapolis, MD
8/23 Kansas State Fiddling & Picking Championship – Lawrence KS
8/24 Kansas State Fiddling & Picking Championship – Lawrence KS
8/28 Atwood Music Hall - Madison WI
8/29 The Parkway Theatre - Minneapolis MN
8/30 Jackpine Jamboree - Birnamwood WI
8/31 Jackpine Jamboree - Birnamwood WI
9/17 The Station Inn - Nashville TN (Official AmericanaFest showcase)
9/20 Frostburg MD - FSU Appalchian Festival
9/26 Washington’s Foco - Fort Collins CO
9/27 Swallow Hill/Daniels Hall - Denver CO
9/28 Swallow Hill/Daniels Hall - Denver CO
10/3 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass - San Francisco CA
10/4 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass - San Francisco CA
10/5 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass - San Francisco CA
10/11 CaveFest at The Caverns - Pelham TN
11/12 The Station Inn – Nashville, TN
11/15 New Folk Old Folk Festival - Fischer TX
