Tish Hinojosa
Country of origin:
U.S.
Type of music generally:
Protest/folk with considerable country influence
Status:
Most recent release, West (2018)
See also:
Tish Hinojosa's site
Comparisons:
Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, some Linda Ronstadt
Covers/own material:
Own, generally
General comments:
See album comments.
Recommended first album:
Culture Swing
Recordings:
- Homeland (1989)
- Culture Swing (1990)
- Aquella Noche [live] (1991)
- Memorabilia Navidenia (1991)
- Taos to Tennessee (1992; released 2001)
- Destiny's Gate (1994)
- Frontejas (1995)
- Dreaming from the Labyrinth (Soñar del Laberinto, 1996)
- Cada Nino (Every Child) (1996)
- Soñar Del Laberinto (1997)
- Sign of Truth (2000)
- The Best of Tish Hinojosa: Live (2003)
- From Texas for a Christmas Night (seasonal, 2003)
- A Heart Wide Open (2005)
- Retrospective (compilation, 2006)
- Our Little Planet (2008)
- After the Fair (2013)
- West (2018)
Homeland
Release info:
1989—A&M Records, USA—395263-2
Availability:
Wide on release
Ecto priority:
High (very high if you like country)
Group members:
Tish Hinojosa—vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, background vocals
Guest artists:
Steve Berlin—sax, percussion, pump organ
Rich Brotherton—twelve string guitar
Marvin Denton—acoustic guitar, background vocals
Floyd Domino—piano, Korg SGI
Gene Elders—fiddle
J.D. Foster—electric bass, fretless bass, upright bass
Paul Glasse—mandolin
David Halley—electric guitar, acoustic guitar, six-string bass
Champ Hood—fiddle
Flaco Jimenez—accordion
Fred Krc—drums, bongos, doo-doots
Gregg Leisz—pedal steel, dobro
Danny Levin—violins, cello, piano, Korg SGI
Louie Perez—background vocals
Gary Primach—harmonica
Cesar Rosas—bajo sexto
Produced by:
Steve Berlin
Comments:
Tish Hinojosa has a clear and well-controlled voice (reminiscent of Joan Baez, but higher). The music is also reminiscent of Joan Baez (protest/folk) but considerably more country-like. (jbr@casetech.dk)
Culture Swing
Release info:
1992—Rounder (U.S.)—3122
Availability:
Wide in U.S.
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
Tish Hinojosa—vocals, rhythm guitar
Guest artists:
Keith Carper—basses, background vocals
Marvin Denton Dykhuis—guitar, charango, background vocals
Paul Pearcy—drums, percussion
Produced by:
Tish Hinojosa
Comments:
Tish Hinojosa, a native of San Antonio now living in Austin, Texas, switched from A&M to Rounder Records after the former label dropped her, supposedly in a quandry over how to pigeonhole her—not the first time this has happened to a female artist. Her latest album does show an individualistic artistic vision—not simply a country artist, not really an ethnic one—that may go some distance toward explaining away A&M's perplexity. Hinojosa's music is in the country genre first and foremost, but is firmly ensconced in the wing represented by the likes of Emmylou Harris and Rosanne Cash, as contrasted with the one exemplified by Tammy Wynette.
The musical influences on this album are somewhat eclectic; but the organizing principle—which Hinojosa expounds on at some length in the liner notes—is the set of cultural influences that have informed her own life experiences, ranging from Mexican-American (a few of the songs are in Spanish), to Texas, to the Southwest more generally, to the American experience as such. (mapravat@prairienet.org)In my opinion, her best album. (ishara@blarg.net)
Memorabilia Navidenia
Release info:
1991—Watermelon—1006
Availability:
Wide on release
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
Tish Hinojosa—piano, rhythm guitar, vocals
Guest artists:
Keith Carper—bass, backing vocals
Marvin Denton—guitar, mandolin, backing vocals
Danny Levin—piano
Paul Pearcy—percussion
Zilker Elementary School 1990-91—backing vocals
Produced by:
Tish Hinojosa, Craig Barker, Marvin Denton
Comments:
With songs in Spanish and English (you get to hear "O Christmas Tree" sung in Spanish! and little kids in a bilingual class singing on the chorus of 1 song—really cute) including the traditional Spanish lullaby, "A La Nanita Nana", which is really beautiful. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Destiny's Gate
Release info:
1994—Warner
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Recommended for fans
Group members:
Tish Hinojosa—vocals, backing vocals, synthesizer, acoustic guitar, guitar, chimes, 12-string guitar, Producer, Synthesizer Bells
Guest artists:
Donna McElroy—backing vocals
Tony Campise—alto sax
Matt Rollings—organ
Richard Bennett—12-string guitar
Rich Brotherton—mandolin, electric guitar, mandola
Turner Stephen Bruton—electric guitar
Mark Casstevens—acoustic guitar
Stuart Duncan—violin
Marvin Denton Dykhuis—acoustic guitar, electric guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals, 12-string guitar, gut string guitar, charango
Béla Fleck—banjo
Sonny Garrish—steel guitar
Arturo Garza—conga
Vicki Hampton—backing vocals
Danny Levin—piano, violin, cello, viola
Michael Mordecai—trombone
Steve Nathan—synthesizer
Paul Pearcy—percussion, bongos, drums
Brent Rowan—electric guitar
Victoria Shaw—backing vocals
John Willis—electric guitar
Lonnie Wilson—drums
Glenn Worf—bass
Glenn Fukunaga—bass, upright bass
Megan Levin—harp
Trio Los Guapos—backing vocals
Gary Schlekta—trumpet
Gary Slechta—trumpet
John Mills—tenor sax
Produced by:
Tish Hinojosa, Jim Ed Norman
Comments:
This album is quite good. Has quite a country feel on some songs, but still pretty pleasant. The best songs are the songs she sings in Spanish—her voice really seems to have a warmth and fullness when she sings in Spanish that it lacks when singing in English. Definitely not for all ectophiles, but if into acoustic guitar with country/Spanish influences, it's worth checking out. (jjhanson@att.net)The production on this album, compared with her earlier ones, is too heavy-handed for my taste. It sounded like "Tish meets the big-time producer who screws up her sound." (ishara@blarg.net)
Thanks to Jens P. Tagore Brage and Mitch Pravatiner for work on this entry.
