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Singer and songwriter Donna Hughes makes her national debut with this very enjoyable album, Gaining Wisdom, produced by guitar legend Tony Rice and featuring a stellar cast of sidemen who include mandolinist Sam Bush, dobro player Rob Ickes and fiddler Ron Stewart, among others. The lineup might lead you to expect a relatively straightforward bluegrass album, but what you get is something quite a bit more complex -- a really quite modern country album played on acoustic instruments, some of the songs (notably a fun arrangement of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" and the modern but old-fashioned "Where Are You Darlin'?") heading off into traditional bluegrass territory but many others exploring more contemporary country styles. Hughes' voice is lovely, she's a very talented songwriter, and the arrangements are wonderful -- the only thing one might complain about on this album is a certain emotional flatness in her delivery. When she sings "What I'm Looking For," it doesn't actually sound like she's been looking all that hard, and the hard-luck portrait "Bottom of a Glass" is sung in a strangely jaunty manner. Her affect seems just a bit off through most of the record, but it's still a very enjoyable listen and a promising debut.
© Rick Anderson /TiVo
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Mary Chapin Carpenter, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Ron Stewart, Fiddle, AssociatedPerformer - Sam Bush, Mandolin, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Rice, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Alison Krauss, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Ickes, Dobro, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Chandler, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Bub, Upright Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Stafford, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Wolf, Mixer, Mastering Engineer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Donna Hughes, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2007 Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Tony Rice, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Ickes, Dobro, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Chandler, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Alecia Nugent, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Wyatt Rice, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Wolf, Mixer, Mastering Engineer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Rickie Simpkins, Mandolin, AssociatedPerformer - Donna Hughes, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Lona Heins, FeaturedArtist - Bryn Davies, Upright Bass, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2007 Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Mary Chapin Carpenter, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Carroll, FeaturedArtist - Tony Rice, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Ickes, Dobro, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Chandler, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bill Wolf, Mixer, Mastering Engineer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Donna Hughes, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Bryn Davies, Upright Bass, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2007 Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Cyndi Lauper, ComposerLyricist - Rob Hyman, ComposerLyricist - Carl Jackson, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Ron Stewart, Fiddle, AssociatedPerformer - Sonya Isaacs, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Rice, Producer, Recording Producer - Wayne Benson, Mandolin, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Vestal, Banjo, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Ickes, Dobro, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Chandler, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Bub, Upright Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Stafford, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Wolf, Mixer, Mastering Engineer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Donna Hughes, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2007 Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Mary Chapin Carpenter, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Carroll, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Rice, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Ickes, Dobro, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Chandler, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Wyatt Rice, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Wolf, Mixer, Mastering Engineer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Rickie Simpkins, Mandolin, AssociatedPerformer - Donna Hughes, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Bryn Davies, Upright Bass, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2007 Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Mary Chapin Carpenter, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Carroll, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Rice, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Ickes, Dobro, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Chandler, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bill Wolf, Mixer, Mastering Engineer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Rickie Simpkins, Mandolin, AssociatedPerformer - Donna Hughes, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Bryn Davies, Upright Bass, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2007 Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Carl Jackson, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Ron Stewart, Fiddle, AssociatedPerformer - Sonya Isaacs, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Rice, Producer, Recording Producer - Wayne Benson, Mandolin, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Vestal, Banjo, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Ickes, Dobro, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Chandler, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Bub, Upright Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Stafford, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Wolf, Mixer, Mastering Engineer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Donna Hughes, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2007 Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Carl Jackson, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Rice, Producer, Recording Producer - Steve Chandler, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tim Stafford, ComposerLyricist - Bill Wolf, Mixer, Mastering Engineer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Donna Hughes, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Kati Penn, Additional Vocals, Fiddle, AssociatedPerformer - Obil Perez, Cello, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2007 Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Carl Jackson, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Ron Stewart, Fiddle, AssociatedPerformer - Sam Bush, Mandolin, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Rice, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Vestal, Banjo, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Ickes, Dobro, AssociatedPerformer - Rhonda Vincent, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Chandler, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Bub, Upright Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Wolf, Mixer, Mastering Engineer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Donna Hughes, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2007 Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Carl Jackson, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Ron Stewart, Fiddle, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Rice, Producer, Recording Producer - Wayne Benson, Mandolin, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Ickes, Dobro, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Chandler, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Alecia Nugent, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Bub, Upright Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Stafford, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Wolf, Mixer, Mastering Engineer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Donna Hughes, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2007 Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Carl Jackson, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Ron Stewart, Fiddle, AssociatedPerformer - Sam Bush, Mandolin, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Rice, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Vestal, Banjo, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Ickes, Dobro, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Chandler, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Alecia Nugent, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Bub, Upright Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Wolf, Mixer, Mastering Engineer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Donna Hughes, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2007 Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Mary Chapin Carpenter, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Carroll, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Rice, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Ickes, Dobro, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Chandler, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bill Wolf, Mixer, Mastering Engineer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Rickie Simpkins, Mandolin, AssociatedPerformer - Donna Hughes, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Bryn Davies, Upright Bass, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2007 Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Carl Jackson, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Ron Stewart, Fiddle, AssociatedPerformer - Sam Bush, Mandolin, AssociatedPerformer - Sonya Isaacs, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Rice, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Vestal, Banjo, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Ickes, Dobro, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Chandler, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Bub, Upright Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Wolf, Mixer, Mastering Engineer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Donna Hughes, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2007 Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Carl Jackson, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Rice, Producer, Guitar, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Chandler, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Alecia Nugent, Additional Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Wolf, Mixer, Mastering Engineer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Donna Hughes, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2007 Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Album review
Singer and songwriter Donna Hughes makes her national debut with this very enjoyable album, Gaining Wisdom, produced by guitar legend Tony Rice and featuring a stellar cast of sidemen who include mandolinist Sam Bush, dobro player Rob Ickes and fiddler Ron Stewart, among others. The lineup might lead you to expect a relatively straightforward bluegrass album, but what you get is something quite a bit more complex -- a really quite modern country album played on acoustic instruments, some of the songs (notably a fun arrangement of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" and the modern but old-fashioned "Where Are You Darlin'?") heading off into traditional bluegrass territory but many others exploring more contemporary country styles. Hughes' voice is lovely, she's a very talented songwriter, and the arrangements are wonderful -- the only thing one might complain about on this album is a certain emotional flatness in her delivery. When she sings "What I'm Looking For," it doesn't actually sound like she's been looking all that hard, and the hard-luck portrait "Bottom of a Glass" is sung in a strangely jaunty manner. Her affect seems just a bit off through most of the record, but it's still a very enjoyable listen and a promising debut.
© Rick Anderson /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 00:43:29
- Main artists: Donna Hughes
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Rounder
- Genre: Country
© 2007 Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc. ℗ 2007 Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
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