Allison Moorer - Miss Fortune

Rather than open her Universal South debut with a boot-stompin' rave, Moorer sounds an autumnal tone -- not just on the opening track, but on the first three. Though several up-tempo tunes do follow, this muted quality pervades Miss Fortune. Clearly the point is that Moorer intends to move past her identification with traditional country into a more personalized and varied realm in which she exercises full creative control. Make no mistake: This is a country album, but it's closer to what the music might have become rather than to where it has sunk in its current doldrums. A honey-toned and expressive singer, Moorer does seem more at home with slower, thoughtful material; on faster numbers, like "Ruby Jewel Was Here" and "Hey Jezebel," her phrasing is more affected -- in fact, the grooves are transparently derivative, reflecting the Band and the Stones, respectively. On the other hand, when she slinks into a Kurt Weill pose on the closing track, "Dying Breed," she feels totally at home with the idiom and its interpretive implications. Despite the ambiguity of the title, Miss Fortune suggests an intriguing turn for Moorer, not to mention affirmation that there are still opportunities to experiment outside the boardrooms of Music Row. ~ Robert L. Doerschuk, All Music Guide

Name Credits Allison Moorer Vocals (Background) Allison Presswood Bass Billy Gosser Guitar Technician Billy Huber Euphonium, Trombone, Trombone (Bass) Chris Carmichael Strings, Violin, Fiddle, Conductor, String Arrangements David Grissom Guitar (Electric) Eric Conn Mastering George Massenburg Mixing Engineer, Mastering Greg Morrow Drums, Percussion Jared Reynolds Vocals (Background) Jay Bennett Guitar (Leslie), Organ, Guitar (Electric), Mandolin Jim DeMain Engineer Jim Herrington Photography Jim Hoke Sax (Tenor), Saxophone, Sax (Baritone), Horn Arrangements Joey Turner Assistant Engineer Karen Cronin Design, Art Direction Kenneth Blevins Drums Kim Morrison Vocals (Background) Manfred Jerome Percussion Michael Noble Guitar (Acoustic), Banjo, Dobro Michael Webb Piano, Keyboards, Fender Rhodes, Organ (Hammond), Wurlitzer Mike Brignardello Bass Nashville String Machine Strings Neal Rosengarden Trumpet, French Horn, Euphonium R.S. Field Producer, Guitar (Electric) Rick Schell Vocals (Background), Drums, Percussion Rob McNelley Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Acoustic) Russ Pahl Slide Guitar, Pedal Steel Steve Conn Clarinet, Piano, Accordion Tony Brown Executive Producer Yvonne Hodges Vocals (Background)