Brian Hughes (musician)
Encyclopedia
Brian Hughes is a Canadian guitarist
whose work draws from both the smooth jazz
and world music
genres. (Of the latter, his influences have thus far been primarily Latin
.) Not restricted entirely to conventional guitar
s, Hughes has also been known to employ the oud
, bouzouki
and balalaika
. He has for over twenty four years worked in the studio with singer/songwriter Loreena McKennitt
, co-produced many of her recordings, and leads her touring band. Hughes has many albums starting from the early 1990s. His music is contemporary jazz using the jazz guitar for his instrumental music. His latest release is the CD Fast Train To A Quiet Place released in July of 2011. Many of his works can be heard on The Weather Channel's Local on the 8's and on Sirius XM's Watercolors channel.
Hughes grew up in Alberta, Canada and studied at Grant McKewan College in Edmonton and the Banff School of Fine Arts with guitarists Ed Bickert and Gene Bertoncini. In 1981 he moved temporarily to Los Angeles where he studied at the Guitar Institute
with Pat Martino, Joe DiOrio and Robben Ford. In 1987 Hughes relocated to Toronto where he began working with harpist Loreena McKennitt and in 1991 recorded his first album as a leader for Justin Time Records. Hughes subsequently recorded "Under One Sky" for Justin Time in 1992 and then started his own
label Sylvan House Music in 1995 which was distributed by Warner Music Canada and licensed to Higher Octave / EMI in the USA and abroad. Brian recorded three more albums (Straight To You, One 2 One and Shakin' Not Stirred) under this arrangement before releasing Along The Way with A440 music group in 2003.
Hughes returned to his Sylvan House Music imprint for the release of LIVE (2007), No Reservations concert DVD (2009) and Fast Train to a Quiet Place in July of 2011. Brian relocated to Los Angeles in 2000 where he continues to reside.
AWARDS:
Brian received the SOCAN (Society of Canadian Authors and Composers) Jazz and Instrumental Composer of the Year award in: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006 and 2008. He was also nominated for a Juno Award as "Producer of the Year" in 1991 for the Loreena McKennitt album "The Visit".
Yahoo Music - Brian Hughes Albums
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
whose work draws from both the smooth jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
and world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
genres. (Of the latter, his influences have thus far been primarily Latin
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
.) Not restricted entirely to conventional guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, Hughes has also been known to employ the oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
, bouzouki
Bouzouki
The bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
and balalaika
Balalaika
The balalaika is a stringed musical instrument popular in Russia, with a characteristic triangular body and three strings.The balalaika family of instruments includes instruments of various sizes, from the highest-pitched to the lowest, the prima balalaika, secunda balalaika, alto balalaika, bass...
. He has for over twenty four years worked in the studio with singer/songwriter Loreena McKennitt
Loreena McKennitt
Loreena Isabel Irene McKennitt, CM, OM, is a Canadian singer, composer, harpist, accordionist and pianist who writes, records and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern themes. McKennitt is known for her refined, clear soprano vocals...
, co-produced many of her recordings, and leads her touring band. Hughes has many albums starting from the early 1990s. His music is contemporary jazz using the jazz guitar for his instrumental music. His latest release is the CD Fast Train To A Quiet Place released in July of 2011. Many of his works can be heard on The Weather Channel's Local on the 8's and on Sirius XM's Watercolors channel.
Hughes grew up in Alberta, Canada and studied at Grant McKewan College in Edmonton and the Banff School of Fine Arts with guitarists Ed Bickert and Gene Bertoncini. In 1981 he moved temporarily to Los Angeles where he studied at the Guitar Institute
with Pat Martino, Joe DiOrio and Robben Ford. In 1987 Hughes relocated to Toronto where he began working with harpist Loreena McKennitt and in 1991 recorded his first album as a leader for Justin Time Records. Hughes subsequently recorded "Under One Sky" for Justin Time in 1992 and then started his own
label Sylvan House Music in 1995 which was distributed by Warner Music Canada and licensed to Higher Octave / EMI in the USA and abroad. Brian recorded three more albums (Straight To You, One 2 One and Shakin' Not Stirred) under this arrangement before releasing Along The Way with A440 music group in 2003.
Hughes returned to his Sylvan House Music imprint for the release of LIVE (2007), No Reservations concert DVD (2009) and Fast Train to a Quiet Place in July of 2011. Brian relocated to Los Angeles in 2000 where he continues to reside.
AWARDS:
Brian received the SOCAN (Society of Canadian Authors and Composers) Jazz and Instrumental Composer of the Year award in: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006 and 2008. He was also nominated for a Juno Award as "Producer of the Year" in 1991 for the Loreena McKennitt album "The Visit".
Discography
| Title | |Year of Release | Current Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between Dusk...And Dreaming | 1991 | Justin Time Records Justin Time Records Justin Time Records, Inc. is a Canadian independent record label based in Montreal. It was established in 1983 and specialises mostly in jazz and blues... |
||
| Under One Sky | 1992 | Justin Time Records Justin Time Records Justin Time Records, Inc. is a Canadian independent record label based in Montreal. It was established in 1983 and specialises mostly in jazz and blues... |
||
| Straight To You | 1996 | Sylvan House Music / Distribution 13 | ||
| One 2 One | 1998 | Sylvan House Music / Distribution 13 | ||
| Shakin' Not Stirred | 1999 | Sylvan House Music / Distribution 13 | ||
| Along The Way | 2003 | Sylvan House Music | ||
| Live | 2007 | Sylvan House Music / Distribution 13 | ||
| No Reservations concert DVD | 2009 | Sylvan House Music / Distribution 13 | ||
| Fast Train to a Quiet Place | 2011 | Sylvan House Music / Distribution 13 | ||
Yahoo Music - Brian Hughes Albums