Bjorn Jacobsen picked up a guitar at 10 and never really put it down — not even after a serious health scare in high school that threatened his hands. He built his sound the hard way, busking nine hours a day on the streets of New Orleans before an open mic pulled him back toward home. Solo, his original songs run on Southern and New Orleans tradition with Middle Eastern and Klezmer undercurrents, delivered in a raw, Tom Waits-meets-Jim Morrison growl. He's also one half of Bjorn & Robin with fiddle player Robin Chambers — the two met at a Lancaster songwriter showcase in 2013 and have been trading guitar and violin lines ever since, including a regular run at John Wright Restaurant. Catch him solo some nights and with Robin on others — either way, it's real strings and a real voice, no backing track in sight.