Blue Christmas

Composed by Jay W. Johnson & Billy Hayes, “Blue Christmas” was first recorded in 1948 by Texan Doye O’Dell - “All America’s Cowboy”. Several popular renditions followed – and, in 1957, another singer/actor, this time from Tupelo, Mississippi, stamped the song indelibly as an holiday classic.

Rocking and rolling into this season of joy and reflection is Canada’s Allison Crowe whose 2015 recording here gifts us one of the freshest takes on the song since Elvis Presley - “The King”.

Blue Christmas from Allison Crowe on Vimeo.

This a cappella track is on Crowe’s just-released “Souling (Bonus Tracks Edition)” – an album which expands upon a cherished release of last Christmas. To “Souling” Crowe’s added one more traditional carol plus characteristically distinct colourings of secular songs popularized by Elvis, Eartha Kitt, Louis & Ella, Nat King Cole and Stevie Wonder among others:
http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/souling-bonus-tracks-edition

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Indoors, music-makers and music-lovers are radiating joy and excitement – but, “Baby It’s Cold Outside”:


Baby, It's Cold Outside from Allison Crowe on Vimeo.

Here’s Allison Crowe with her a cappella icing of the Frank Loesser Wintertime classic. The musical stocking warms with glowing tunes from the popular songbook on Crowe’s just-released album - “Souling (Bonus Tracks Edition)”.

The genesis of “Souling” is found within the creative family of Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador, an Atlantic Canadian professional theatre company founded in 1979. Each Summer from 2012 through 2015 Allison Crowe's served as Musical Director of "Newfoundland Vinyl" – an hit stage show produced by TNL for the Gros Morne Theatre Festival. Alongside this ongoing success, in 2014, TNL Artistic Associate SaraH McDonald invited the Corner Brook, NL-based musician to also be MD for a vibrant production of “A Christmas Carol”.

The Adaptation of this classic Charles Dickens story by playwright Jeff Pitcher, TNL’s Artistic Director, excited Crowe’s musical imagination – as did the desire of McDonald, the play’s Director, to incorporate songs in the style of Victorian Era carolers.

So inspired, Allison Crowe immersed herself in curating and arranging music for choral presentation – a process which gave an unique breath of life to these solo performance recordings. “Her arrangements are undeniably exquisite,” notes Celtic Music Fan.

In 2015, Crowe musically directs a new TNL show for the holiday season – “The Gift of the Magi”. O. Henry’s short-story is adapted for the stage by Jon Jory and directed by TNL’s AD Jeff Pitcher. Carollers in this show will perform favourite Christmas carols, and also modern, secular, tunes. And from these latter songs, popularized by Elvis, Eartha Kitt, Louis & Ella, Nat King Cole and Stevie Wonder among others, Allison Crowe’s selected the newest tracks for “Souling”.

https://allisoncrowe.bandcamp.com/album/souling-bonus-tracks-edition 

Happy Birthday, Allison Crowe - November 16

Happy birthday to one of music's immortals - Allison Louise Crowe - born November 16, 1981.

Coming Ashore: Allison Crowe and Band with Recordings and Concert Joy

Bi-coastal musician, who’s cameoed in the latest Superman movie and toured with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, brings her band to Canada's mainland for the first time

Islander Allison Crowe (vocals, piano, guitar, fiddle, bodhran) and bandmates Billie Woods (guitar, vox), Lin Lin (cello, vox), and Dave Baird (bass) bring their singular hybrid of Canadiana, Celtic, jazz, roots, folk, soul and original rock to mainland Canada with a concert at Vancouver’s St. James Hall (3214 West  10th Ave.) on Friday, November 13 at 8pm.

This weekend the group is in recording sessions at White Rock’s storied Turtle studios with Engineer/Producer Larry Anschell (Pearl Jam, Bif Naked, Sarah McLachlan) – capturing what will be, either, Crowe’s fifth album of 2015 (including a 21-song curated collection), or her, first release of 2016.

“Sylvan Hour is truly a masterpiece”, says pioneering culture blog Muruch of Crowe’s Springtime offering. “The music seems to rise from deep with her chest, sometimes ripping out of her throat in full roar, other times being restrained and shaped with the skill of a master sculptor.” 

And, her newest song collection to reach ears carries forward with winning praise:

“Newfoundland Vinyl 3 by Allison Crowe brings the beautiful winter breeze early,” says The CelticMusic Fan. “Allison’s music offers an “unique listening experience as I don’t think I have met a kind of style or recording like hers. The styles vary from traditional to modern… Fiddlers Green, The Irish Rover will appeal to lovers of Irish music. While the rest are infused in folk, pop and blues style… Allison Crowe’s arrangements are simple and they exude an intimate air which is rare these days, in a world where music is overblown or over-produced. You get the sense of organic simplicity in each track. It’s the feeling of coming home after a long hard day from work.”

“Further jaunts and ‘me boys’ abound with Crowe bringing a joyous appreciation to the traditional folk roots of the songwriting and authentic presentations… This is definitely traditional fare delivered with genuine, folk-honest class” notes Some Diurnal Aural Awe. “A fine guitarist and an absolutely stunning pianist, Ms Crowe plays and sings with a genuine passion that is completely void of vacuous histrionics. She skates the edges of soulful folk and folky soul with a commanding ease… With this release she accomplishes what few artists even attempt” is the comment @ “It’s Only Rock’n’Roll”.


Out now is "Souling (Bonus Tracks Edition)” – an album which expands upon Allison Crowe’s popular acapella release of last Christmas season. This year she’s added one traditional carol plus fresh takes on the secular holiday songbook. With characteristic distinction, Crowe's crystalline pure approach brings new emotional colour to “Blue Christmas” and other classics.

Allison Crowe celebrates Halloween ‘fore setting sail anew with band 

Allison Crowe Hits Home with "Newfoundland Vinyl 3"

Allison Crowe (vocals, piano, guitar, fiddle, bodhran) and bandmates Billie Woods (cello, vox), Celine Greb (cello, vox), and Dave Baird bring their singular sound and spirit in concert to Vancouver's St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Ave.), Friday November 13 at 8pm.

Right now, "The Celtic Music Fan" adds warmth of home and hearth with the latest glowing response to Crowe’s newest album in the blog’s just-published review of NV3 – saying:

“Newfoundland Vinyl 3 by Allison Crowe brings the beautiful winter breeze early”

Allison’s music offers an “unique listening experience as I don’t think I have met a kind of style or recording like her’s. The styles vary from traditional to modern… Fiddlers Green, The Irish Rover will appeal to lovers of Irish music. While the rest are infused in folk, pop and blues style… Allison Crowe’s arrangements are simple and they exude an intimate air which is rare these days, in a world where music is overblown or over produced. You get the sense of organic simplicity in each track. It’s the feeling of coming home after a long hard day from work.”

  

https://celticmusicfan.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/newfoundland-vinyl-3-by-allison-crowe-brings-the-beautiful-winter-breeze-early/

And here’s more warm words for “Newfoundland Vinyl 3”:

“Further jaunts and ‘me boys’ abound with Crowe bringing a joyous appreciation to the traditional folk roots of the songwriting and authentic presentations, storytelling to the fore... This is definitely traditional fare delivered with genuine, folk-honest class” says “Some Diurnal Aural Awe”.

http://somediurnalauralawe.blogspot.ca/2015/10/allison-crowe-newfoundland-vinyl-3.html

“A fine guitarist and an absolutely stunning pianist, Ms Crowe plays and sings with a genuine passion that is completely void of vacuous histrionics. She skates the edges of soulful folk and folky soul with a commanding ease... With this release she accomplishes what few artists even attempt; she makes a very personal statement using the thoughts and words of others,” is commented @ “It’s Only Rock’n’Roll”