Brian Hughes
Brian Hughes (born 5 May 1955) is a Canadian guitarist whose work draws from smooth jazz and Latin music. Hughes also plays oud, bouzouki, and balalaika. For over twenty years, he has worked in the studio with singer-songwriter Loreena McKennitt.
Brian Hughes
- Name
- Brian Hughes
- Born
- 5 May 1955
- Birthplace
- Vegreville, Alberta, Canada
- Occupation
- Musician, composer, producer
- Nationality
- Canada
- Fields
- blues
- Languages
- English
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wikidata · Q2924920
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Biography
Biography
He co-produced many of her recordings and leads her touring band.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Brian Hughes • Born — 5 May 1955 • Birthplace — Vegreville, Alberta, Canada • Genre — Smooth jazz, Latin, Jazz fusion, New age • Occupation — Musician, composer, producer • Instrument — Guitar, oud, bouzouki, electric sitar • Years Active — 1990–present • Label — Justin Time, Higher Octave, Sylvan House • Associated Acts — Loreena McKennitt • Website — brianhughes.com
Music career
Music career
Hughes grew up in Alberta, Canada and studied at Grant MacEwan College (now MacEwan University) in Edmonton and the Banff School of Fine Arts with jazz 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 moved to Toronto where he began working with harpist Loreena McKennitt. In 1990 he recorded Between Dusk...and Dreaming, his first album as a leader, for Justin Time Records, followed by Under One Sky, two years later. He started his label, Sylvan House Music, which was distributed by Warner Music Canada and licensed to Higher Octave Music/EMI in the U.S. and abroad. He 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. He 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 2011. He moved to Los Angeles in 2000. Many of his works can be heard on The Weather Channel's Local on the 8's, SiriusXM's Watercolors channel, and on the Music Choice Smooth Jazz channel.
Discography
• Between Dusk...and Dreaming (Justin Time, 1990) • Under One Sky (Justin Time, 1992) • Straight to You (Higher Octave, 1996) • One 2 One (Higher Octave, 1998) • Shakin' Not Stirred (Higher Octave, 1999) • Along the Way (A440 Music Group) • Live (Sylvan House, 2007) • Fast Train to a Quiet Place (Sylvan House, 2011)
Awards and honors
Hughes received the Society of Canadian Authors and Composers (SOCAN) Jazz and Instrumental Composer of the Year award from 1997 to 2001 and in 2006 and 2008. He was nominated for a Juno Award as Producer of the Year in 1991 for Loreena McKennitt's album The Visit.
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Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Brian Hughes (musician), revision 1360995123 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 24 August 2026.
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