In this latest bootleg from her
recent European concert tour, Allison Crowe, again, shows how and why she’s
loved – and earns hearty plaudits - ‘round the globe.
"Canada's
finest songwriter" says writer Stephen Thomas, co-founder of the UK’s
Folkroom Records. "In a world of copycats and
wannabes in the singer-songwriter field, Crowe is a true original and is
playing in a league of her own," notes L.A.-based writer/producer and AMG
journalist Tom Mureika.
Delivery of musical joy and genius today come via pathways
distant from the corporate product and pop / rock ephemera of the establishment
record industry.
Here at the storied Jazzhaus in Freiburg,
Germany, Allison Crowe reveals
her “Secrets”
Allison Crowe rocks hard as any musician - and is just as moving when
she gently delivers a reflective ballad such as "Hold Back" - first
heard on her "Little Light" album - http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/little-light
Here Crowe picks up her guitar and plays for a wonderful audience of
music-lovers at Jazzhaus Freiburg - a Muttertag / Mother's Day show on
the "Heavy Graces" 2014 European concert tour.
Running for Home “flake” – Allison Crowe – Hot Jazz Club Muenster
Another
artifact of Allison Crowe’s latest concert tour – and another off-kilter
bootleg.
A
friend in London kindly gave me the
first of Marianne Faithfull’s autobiographies – and I completed reading it on
the flight from the UK to Canada.
In some stream of
consciousness this video flows with the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied
Poetics of which Faithfull is a Professor.
“Running
for Home” is a song penned by Canada’s Matthew Good and Dave
Genn. Allison Crowe’s notably performed it since 1999 – in band and solo shows.
She’s included it in her live repertoire this Spring and in the trove of
concert videos from Freiburg there’s upcoming a full performance.
Here,
now, from the pulsing joint that’s Hot Jazz Club Muenster is a CCTV feed that’s
viewed by an overflow crowd. NB when the camera shifts to looking at the
guitar-stand and unoccupied stage area, that’s about half of legendary
Road/Tour Manager Axel Dollheiser – sitting at the ready to help Allison switch
from piano to guitar songs.
After enjoying “The
Ballad of Geeshie and Elvie” in The New York
Times Magazine, I’m encouraged to post more, and more,
and then some – even if it be just a flake of Allison
Crowe’s life, or, in this instance, a flake of her most
recent concert tour:
http://youtu.be/vGT3HRWKjF4
John Jeremiah Sullivan’s NYT mag essay tracking
early blues recording artists L.V. Thomas and Lillie Mae
‘Geetchie’ Wiley and cultural field-worker Robert “Mack”
McCormick is a reminder that we enrich the world by
sharing:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/13/magazine/blues.html
Here from beautiful Lindenpark Potsdam, Germany (and a
decidedly off-kilter camera-style), is the opening of
Allison Crowe’s performance of the Leonard Cohen classic “Famous
Blue Raincoat”.
In 1976, Harry Hibbs, one of Newfoundland's favourite
music-makers, most famously released "Between Two Trees" --
this song of love penned by Charlie McKinnon of New
Brunswick, Canada.
It's revived in 2013 for the premiere run of "Newfoundland
Vinyl". Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador's hit show enjoys
its third revolution this Summer at the Gros Morne Theatre
Festival as "Newfoundland Vinyl: The 'C' Side". NV's
conceived by TNL's Artistic Director, Jeff Pitcher, and its
Musical Director is Allison Crowe -- who curates and
arranges the songs for TNL's wonderfully talented and
spirited cast and crew.
On her latest sensational European concert tour, Crowe
carried with her music from home -- and in this bootleg
video, she duets on "Between Two Trees", with Canadian
musician and photographer Billie Woods.
Their performance delighted audiences, including here at
Germany's Jazzhaus Freiburg, a storied venue that's soaked
in the notes of such artists as Miles Davis, Lionel
Hampton, Art Blakey, Bill Evans, Archie Shepp, and Betty
Carter -- and, for the first time, is serenaded with this
sweet music from Atlantic Canada.
On the airwaves and online, passionate stewards such as DJs
Rob Carnell, (of "Salt Water Music" on CFRC 101.9FM), and
Wayne Tucker, (of CHMR 93.5 FM's "Newfound Records Radio
Hour") share the musical riches of the region -- from the
vinyl era to the latest tracks. A mother-lode for
music-lovers and players is "GEST Songs of Newfoundland and
Labrador" -- a marvellous
celebration of musical heritage @
http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld (at last count
home to 3660 songs, 2462 videos, and plenty of midis, song
charts and scores and more). GEST’s Owner/Archivist Gery Deugauw, in addition to his own channel, is
caretaker of two wonderful YouTube collections built with great love and rare dedication – 'oldirishladdie' @ http://www.youtube.com/user/oldirishladdie and 'NLTreasure' @ http://www.youtube.com/user/NLTreasure (this latter channel created by Jim Yetman, whose video legacy lives on).
TNL's "Newfoundland Vinyl: The 'C' Side" spins each Tuesday
and Friday from July 11 - August 29 at the GMTF -- The
Ethie Room, Shallow Bay Motel and Cabins, 193 Main Street,
Cow Head, Newfoundland A0K 2A0
(
On July 28, 2014 Allison Crowe Sings "Newfoundland Vinyl"
and More - in GMTF's "Who's Darkening Our Door" Concert
Series at The Warehouse Theatre, Main Street, Cow Head, NL.
(For info on this performance and all GMTF shows - call
709-639-7238 or toll-free 1-877-243-2899)
On her most recent European tour, Allison Crowe's concert
venues included several classic jazz joints.
Crowe, who started playing piano at age five, first sang
publicly around that same time - belting out the Jazz
Era-hit "Ja-Da Ja-Da (Jing Jing Jing)".
Making music her life full-time since age 16, the artist,
now 32, is one of the great singers and musicians in
popular music on-stage and on record this century. While
she's known as a singular writer and performer of rock,
folk, pop, Newfoundland, Celtic, and other sounds - her
roots in jazz go deep, and she now includes some favourite
standards in her many-hued repertoire.
Here, at Germany's Jazzhaus Freiburg, Allison Crowe sings
Rogers & Hart's "My Funny Valentine" -
accompanied by the always delightful Billie Woods
on guitar.
Discerning culture blog
Muruch says: “I never thought anyone could match,
let alone surpass, the great Etta James on this song, but
Allison’s gut-busting high notes take the melody to a whole 'nother level…”
Famous Blue Raincoat - Allison Crowe - live Teatro del Sale, Firenze
Much audio and video to catch up with – from Allison Crowe’s touring. Herewith, a recording from Firenze:
Allison Crowe’s live interpretation of “Famous Blue Raincoat” – captured by Diego in concerto at Teatro del Sale in Florence, Italy during Crowe’s sensational May 2014 “Heavy Graces” tour.
This song is among those in Allison Crowe’s repertoire penned
by the great, and greatly-loved, Canadian poet, author,
singer-songwriter, Leonard Cohen.
