Tim O'Brien on Jubilee.

Singer and songwriter Tim O'Brien brings old-time music to Jubilee Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 8/7 p.m. CT on KET1. An avid collector of traditional songs from around the world, particularly the American South and Ireland, O'Brien's hobby provides a wealth of material for his own music.

At one point in his career, O'Brien sought to tackle the whole spectrum of traditional music, covering every aspect of the genre from a lone singer with a guitar or fiddle to a full band with electric guitar. He achieved this goal by releasing Fiddler's Green, which tends toward the intimate and traditional, with Cornbread Nation, which is more tempo-driven. On both albums, old-time songs share space with originals and classic country songs. In February 2006, Fiddler's Green won a Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album.

Along with his solo career, which is defined mostly by folk music, O'Brien spent 12 years with the award-winning bluegrass band Hot Rize. He also collaborated with some of Ireland's best musicians to create two collections of original and traditional Celtic songs.

Jubilee is a KET production, produced by H. Russell Farmer. Nancy Carpenter is executive producer.