Artist Spotlight: Gerard Smith

A weekly feature showcasing local artists

Name: Gerard Smith

Sound: Celtic, jazz, folk and rock

History: Smith is a member of the the traditional Irish trio the Bowzies and the more modern-sounding group with Celtic and prog-rock influences Bill Grogan's Goat. The multi-instrumentalist — he plays a variety of stringed instruments including guitar, mandolin and bouzouki, plus the bodhran, tin whistle and concertina — has released two solo albums that are a mix of acoustic and electric with traditional and original songs. 

The latest: At the start of summer Smith celebrated the release of his third solo release, "Lullabies in an Ancient Tongue." The melodic and eclectic album is a collection of material that he "needed to get out of his head" during the pandemic. Smith enlisted a variety of friends and fellow talents from the local music pool, including Paco Higdon on guitars and keyboards, Justin Velic on drums and Tom Phillips on bass. 

Visit gerardsmith.net for more information. 

Melody Baetens