A Bluegrass music stalwart is bringing his new acoustic quintet to WoodSongs

Tim O’Brien has always viewed bluegrass and similarly minded, folk inclined string musicians as members of a massive alliance. They swap road stories when their paths cross during the summer festival season and stir up shop talk should they bump into each other in their offstage neighborhoods.

“We’re part of a community that’s really tight,” said the veteran singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. “We see each other every weekend during the summer. Then in Nashville, I see a lot of these people at the grocery store, the post office or the bank.”

That last reference gave O’Brien pause for thought.

“Well, actually bluegrass musicians don’t go to the bank that often.”

With over four decades of pioneering bluegrass and Americana related music to his credit, from the formation of the groundbreaking Colorado quartet Hot Rize in the 1970s to a new acoustic quintet bearing his name to be showcased Monday for the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour, O’Brien knows the value of vital band spirit. He is also aware of how it can further one’s own musical voice.

“With the music I do, I’m kind of set in my ways. I have a path that I keep following and will keep following until I come to the end of it. I used to be viewed as an eclectic artist. I probably still am, I guess – a musician who likes to go from point A to point C. But bringing the same guys together and limiting projects to a certain group of people who help shape them… I mean, you can’t help but build up a camaraderie doing that.”

Hence the formation of the Tim O’Brien Band, whose self-titled debut album hit stores just over a week ago. Bolstered by bassist Mike Bub, fiddler Shad Cobb, vocalist/mandolinist Jan Fabricius and banjoist/guitarist Patrick Sauber, the record has been tagged as a return to O’Brien’s traditional bluegrass roots in initial reviews. The record’s scope, however, isn’t that limited.

While covers of Norman Blake’s “Last Train from Poor Valley,” Woody Guthrie’s “Pastures of Plenty” and the Big Bill Broonzy-popularized “Diggin’ My Potatoes” speak from vintage folk/blues foundations, the album soars through original works penned with such seemingly far afield artists as Black Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach. It also sports surprises like the gypsy jazz flavored romp “La Gringa Renee.” Even the traditional material operates from diverse stylistic bases, such as the pre-bluegrass country flavored “Doney Gal” and the Celtic driven medley of “Hop Down Reel” and “Johnny Doherty’s Reel.”

“The relationship between bluegrass artists and Celtic players is an interesting one,” O’Brien said. “We mostly admire each other from afar. Irish music, the first time I heard it, felt exotic but somehow familiar. It’s been described to me in a similar way when people steeped in traditional music from America head over in their direction. What I hear is, “‘That’s really like our music, but different.’ It’s a similar reaction. You have to respect both sides to make it all work together, but I think Celtic music is an obvious resource to tap from.”

Which brings us to the Cherish the Ladies, the all-female, American-rooted Irish band with a 34-year career that will share Monday’s WoodSongs bill with O’Brien.

“Cherish the Ladies is one of the greatest traditional Irish music bands in America today,” O’Brien said. “(Flutist/tin whistle player) Joanie Madden is an incredible bandleader and a real dynamo. She’s very strong, but really encouraging to everybody. She’s like a coach. All the singers and players that have been with Cherish the Ladies are world class. The lineups have changed over the years, but I’m looking forward to seeing the current edition.”

O’Brien is similarly thrilled at the future of his own music. With recent tours and recordings alongside Hot Rize, the Grammy-winning Earls of Leicester, Kentucky native Darrell Scott and guitarist Bryan Sutton (who guests on two tunes from the “Tim O’Brien Band” album) under his belt, he keeps looking for new projects to engage himself and, ultimately, his audience.

“I’m doing whatever I can do to keep playing music. Coming up with new projects is part of that. Making a new record is always about getting excited about new material and presenting it to your audience. My audience is very loyal. It’s not a giant audience, but it’s very loyal, so I want to bring it something new regularly. That fulfills my need just to stay active, excited and inspired.”

Tim O’Brien Band, Cherish the Ladies

When: 6:45 p.m. March 25

Where: Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center, 300 E. Third for the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour

Tickets: $20; 859-280-2218 lexingtonlyric.tix.com, timobrien.net