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