Some Lessons Learned

by Kristin Chenoweth

Overview

Having already won an Emmy for her stints in Pushing Daises and Glee, and a Tony Award for her leading roles in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and Wicked, Broadway veteran Kristin Chenoweth could well have to make room on her mantelpiece for a Grammy with her fourth studio album, Some Lessons Learned. Eschewing the musical standards of her 2001 debut, Let Yourself Go and the Christian AOR of 2005's As I Am (although the latter's "Borrowed Angels" does appear here in a slightly altered version), the follow-up to her holiday-themed A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas, sees the versatile singer/actress instead go back to her roots on 13 tracks inspired by the country songs she used to sing while growing up in Oklahoma. It's a change in direction which perfectly suits her distinctive nasal twang, especially on the more uptempo numbers, such as the tongue-in-cheek search for unconditional love of "I Want Somebody (Bitch About)," the radio-friendly Shania Twain-esque "What More Do You Want," and the jaunty, old-fashioned honky tonk of "I Didn't." But unsurprisingly, she's just as adept on the slower numbers, as she emotively croons her way through the gentle, steel guitar-laden "God and Me," the fingerpicking acoustics of "Fathers and Daughters," and the faithful cover of Carrie Underwood's "Lessons Learned." Recorded in Nashville with producer Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel), in between her performances in the Broadway revival of Promises, Promises, Chenoweth, perhaps understandably, occasionally fails to leave her show tune background behind, particularly on the soft rock power ballads "I Was Here" and "What If We Never," which sound like the kind of show stoppers Kurt and Rachel would belt out at the end of a Glee episode. But the spirit of childhood hero Dolly Parton is never far behind, as evident on an affectionate, lilting rendition of "Change" (from her 1996 album Something Special) and "What Would Dolly Do?," a self-penned tribute to the country icon packed with toe-tapping rhythms, doo wop vocals, and rockabilly riffs. Her most high-profile release to date, Some Lessons Learned is a convincing first attempt to embrace the mainstream, which suggests that Chenoweth can now add authentic country-pop singer to the list of her many talents. ~ Jon O'Brien

Product Details

Release Date:	09/13/2011
Label:	Masterworks
UPC:	0886978071828
Rank:	117243

Tracks

1. I Was Here
2. I Want Somebody (Bitch About)
3. Fathers and Daughters
4. What Would Dolly Do
5. God and Me
6. Change
7. What More Do You Want
8. Wreck You
9. I Didn't
10. Borrowed Angels
11. What If We Never
12. Mine to Love
13. Lessons Learned

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Kristin Chenoweth   Primary Artist
Eddie Bayers   Drums
Songa Lee   Violin
Mark Robertson   Violin
Vanessa Freebairn-Smith   Cello
Aaron Oltman   Viola
Perry Coleman   Vocals (Background)
Shannon Forrest   Drums
Jimmie Lee Sloas   Bass
Mike Brignardello   Bass
Brent Mason   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Glenn Worf   Bass,Bass (Upright)
Jason Roller   Fiddle,Guitar (Electric)
Eric Darken   Percussion
Joel Pargman   Violin
Ruby Locknar   Vocals (Background)
Mike Johnson   Guitar (Steel),Guitar (Electric)
Jordan Thompson   Vocals (Background)
Ava Locknar   Vocals (Background)
Jonelle Mosser   Vocals (Background)
Rylee Scott   Vocals (Background)
Adam Shoenfeld   Guitar (Electric)
Paul Franklin   Guitar (Steel)
Bob Ezrin   Keyboards,Tambourine,Vocals (Background)
The Jordanaires   Vocals (Background)
Paul Leim   Drums
Gary Prim   Piano
Pat Buchanan   Guitar (Electric)
Victoria Shaw   Vocals (Background)
John Willis   Banjo,Guitar (Acoustic)
Tommy Henriksen   Synthesizer,Guitar (Electric)
Bryan Sutton   Guitar (Acoustic)

Technical Credits

Nathaniel Alford   Engineer
Mike O'Connor   Engineer
Alex Miller   Management
Roxanne Slimak   Creative Director
Jennifer Liebeskind   Product Development
Leslie Collman-Smith   Marketing
Jorge Velasco   Engineer
Laura Kszan   Product Development
Jeremy Rubolino   String Arrangements
John Metcalfe   Orchestral Arrangements
Hank Williams   Mastering
Scott Farthing   Marketing
Desmond Child   Composer
Diane Warren   Composer,Executive Producer
Al Carlson   Engineer
Joe Martino   Engineer
Ben Terry   Engineer
Eric Darken   Engineer
Tommy Henriksen   Engineer,Programming
Jeff Schulz   Design,Art Direction
Justin Cortelyou   Mixing,Engineer
Jeremy Cowart   Photography
Lynn Lendway   A&R
Matt Rausch   Engineer
Angela Barkan   Publicity
Stephen Jones   Engineer
Kenta Yonesaka   Engineer
Cathleen Murphy   A&R
Larissa Slezak   Publicity
Bob Ezrin   Mixing,Composer,Producer,String Arrangements
Kristin Chenoweth   Composer
Dolly Parton   Composer
Elisa Peimer   Marketing
Jason Lehning   Engineer