Meet Allison Crowe and Band

Musicians Allison Crowe (vocals, piano, guitar, fiddle, bodhran), Céline Sawchuk (cello, vocals), Sarah White (mandolin, guitar, vocals), Dave Baird (bass, vocals) & Keelan Purchase (accordion, 12-string guitar, bodhran, harmonica, vocals) recently banded together on the lovely isle of Newfoundland for sessions and shows.

For a flock of creators who live, literally, all over the map it’s a rare chance to slow the world a bit. “We had time to experiment, and think more about the larger picture musically,” says bassist & birder Dave. “It’s only the beginning. It’s just the first we’ve had opportunity to work the music out without much time restraint. It was fun, relaxed, and productive.”

Melding into one sound and performance experience the rawest of folk roots and the richest of arena rock –  that barely begins to describe the originality and freshness of the quintet’s music and personality.

Debuting at Corner Brook, NL’s Rotary Arts Centre, RAC Theatre Co-ordinator Brad Randell observes, “The performance was absolutely magical.” 

Rolling across the rock to St. John’s and a concert night at LSPU Hall, magic’s afoot once more with Allison Crowe and Band – and, this time, serendipitously, artifacts remain to be shared in addition to golden memories of artists and audience+.

Alick Tsui, the truly remarkable SJ-based photographer, was able to attend Act 1 (the band’s NL concerts formed around one set in which Allison played guitar or fiddle, and, post-intermission, a second set of songs founded on Allison’s piano tunes) – and Alick captured some iconic images of Allison, Céline, Sarah, Dave & Keelan.

Fortune’s present audio-wise, and Allison’s SD (memory) card is filled with tracks to be mined. First, let’s meet the band on-stage :)

Allison Crowe and Band's Debut Cresting Canada

Enjoying this glorious day, dialing in to ‘The Big Groove Radio Show’ signal from British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast – Host Brad Mennie’s all-Canadian playlist for July 1st cues up: “From Nanaimo, BC native, now based all the way on the other side of the country - the other side in Corner Brook, Newfoundland - Allison Crowe. Yes! Great to have her back in the mix with a first listen from her new album ‘Heirs + Grievances’. With just some gorgeous sounds and vocals here exploring in all different directions. But because it’s Canada Day I thought the roots of Foggy Shores of Home just seemed to fit perfectly. All those other sounds will be definitely explored in future editions of the show.

With Allison and Band now home in Canada following a sensational concert tour of Europe, the sounds Mennie’s sharing today are being added to music libraries of radio stations across this vast land – including: CFRC (Kingston, ON), CHRW (London, ON), CHMR (St. John’s, NL), CHLY (Nanaimo, BC) and our nation’s public broadcaster, the CBC. (There’s plenty more word to come from H+G’s new music cresting the airwaves.)

The double-album is now released in Canada – and will soon be in stores on the mainland. Right now, “Introducing / Heirs + Grievances” is available to islanders - on the Pacific coast @: Fascinating Rhythm (51 Commercial 250-716-9997), in Nanaimo; Lyle’s Place (770 Yates 250-382-8422) in Victoria; & SaltspringSound CA (131 McPhillips 250-537-00650), SSI, British Columbia. On Canada's Atlantic shore, the band’s debut is found @: MALA (74 Broadway 709-634-4004) in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador.

The CD collection includes the studio session, “Heirs + Grievances”, and a live set, “Introducing”. It can be ordered by mail for world delivery, and, digitally, the studio recordings are @: http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/heirs-grievances

Simply Amazing

Amazing Radio, London, England-based international and independent radio, featured "You All Haunt Me" this weekend on the station's Amazing Rock Show. Thanks to show host/DJ Aaron Phillips and Producer Neil Reynolds for picking up on the debut from Allison Crowe and Band. Now on Amazing @ http://amazingtunes.com/allisoncrowe enjoy a playlist of 29 songs – the entire new studio album, “Heirs + Grievances”, plus a song from each of 16 earlier EP/album releases from Allison.

  

To hear the premiere broadcast of “You All Haunt Me”, it’s @ http://s3.amazonaws.com/first_plays/400101_amazingradio_28-05-2016_19-58.mp3

Heirs + Grievances Tournee

These are the concert dates for my 'Heirs and Grievances' tour with the band. Let me know if you can make it to any of these! :) can't wait to see you all!

Allison Crowe @ https://www.instagram.com/allison_crowe

Heirs + Grievances Tour - Europe dates Spring 2016

24 March – concert – Mampf – Frankfurt, Germany

26 March – concert – Palazzo Manzioli – Izola, Slovenia

29 March – concert – Teatro del Sale – Florence, Italy

01 April – concert – Grüner Salon – Berlin, Germany

06 April – concert – Peterskirche – Vaihingen an der Zen, Germany - w. special guests Maskenball

08 April – concert – Stummsche Reithalle – Neunkirchen, Germany

10 April – concert – Alte Turnhalle Grünbach, Engelsbrand, Germany - w. special guests – Mr. Knebel’s musicians – Joint Venture

12 April – concert – Birdland – Hamburg, Germany

16 April – concert – St. Mary in the Castle – Hastings, England

19 April – concert – Racines – Brussels, Belgium

          #music #newalbum #tour #ontheroad #band #europeantour

Ready to rock and roll

The albums are all finished and ready to go for the tour starting next week!! woot woot!

Allison Crowe @ https://www.instagram.com/allison_crowe

            #newmusic #tour #europeantour #music

#fiddle #bodhran #guitar #piano

This is actually a more accurate representation of what my day looks like today Hahaha ;)

Allison Crowe @ https://www.instagram.com/allison_crowe

#fiddle #guitar #bodhrán #piano #music #tour #europeantour

#piano

My view for today.

Allison Crowe @ https://www.instagram.com/allison_crowe

#piano #rehearsal #nofilterneeded #music #europeantour

"Introducing" label proof

And a little preview of the CD label for 'Introducing' (the live companion to Heirs and Grievances) designed by Celine Greb (aka Lin Lin)! Sooon...


says Allison Crowe @ https://www.instagram.com/allison_crowe

Introducing / Heirs + Grievances sneak peek

 

So excited! My new full band album 'Heirs and Grievances' is off to the presses tomorrow! Here's a little sneak peak of what it's going to look like with the cover art proofs! Art by Lin Lin - cover photo by Billie Woods. Release date coming soon, as well as our European tour!

Allison Crowe @ https://www.instagram.com/allison_crowe

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”

 

The Ship Sails On

When Allison Crowe first appeared on national television in her home country of Canada (some 14 years ago), television host Vicki Gabereau, “Canada’s Queen of Chat” observed: “You don't sound like anybody else, honey. Nobody sounds like you."

This holds true today for the musician (vocals, piano, guitar, bodhran, fiddle) and her bandmates: Billie Woods (guitar, vocals); Celine Greb (cello, vocals); Sarah White (multi-instrumentalist); & Dave Baird (bass, vocals).

The group group’s hybrid of Canadiana, Celtic, jazz, roots, folk, soul and original rock delivers on Allison Crowe’s mission to make "Soulful. Alive. Joyous. Grievous. Real, true, music”.


The band is soon to share its sound world-wide via concerts and recordings. Here’s a sample of what’s cooking as we join Allison, Billie, Celine and Dave at home with “You All Haunt Me”.

Allison Crowe with Band: Revolution on its Way

Allison Crowe, the amazing Nanaimo, Vancouver Island-born musician, home in Newfoundland for a decade now, is here in British Columbia this month to resume the launch of a new band and creative phase.

In the record-melting heat of this Summer, Crowe (vocals, piano, guitar, bodhran, fiddle) and bandmates Billie Woods (guitar, vox), Celine Greb (cello, vox) and Dave Baird (bass) performed their first shows. The group’s hybrid of Canadiana, Celtic, jazz, roots, folk, soul and original rock is next on-stage: October 23 in Sidney’s Charlie White Theatre; October 30 at Nanaimo’s Port Theatre; and November 13 at Vancouver’s St. James Hall. (NB “Tidings”, Allison Crowe’s Christmastime concert series, resumes next year in BC.)

Rehearsal today! Woot!               Allison Crowe foto

Between concert dates the band is in sessions at Turtle studios in White Rock, BC with engineer/producer Larry Anschell (Pearl Jam, Bif Naked, Sarah McLachlan). Several of Allison Crowe’s 15 album releases, including the classics “Tidings” and “Live at Wood Hall”, have been captured by Anschell and his audio team.

Capping more than a decade of primarily solo touring and recording, Crowe has three releases coming this season.

"Muruch.com Presents: Allison Crowe”, out this week via Bandcamp, is a 21-song anthology and playlist curated by one of the first, and now longest-running, legal-mp3 music websites. The West Virginia-based culture blog gathers its personal favourites from her recorded repertoire explaining: “Canadian singer-songwriter Allison Crowe has long been Muruch’s musical mascot, so it seemed fitting to celebrate her music along with Muruch.com’s 15th anniversary.”

 October 20, 2015 brings the release of “Newfoundland Vinyl 3” (on Bandcamp, iTunes et al), newest in the acclaimed series of albums refreshing folk, traditional, and popular music of Canada’s Atlantic coast. Waltzes, parlour songs, rousing tunes of land and sea emerge from Crowe’s role as Musical Director with Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador’s hit show, “Newfoundland Vinyl”, at the annual Gros Morne Theatre Festival.

Allison Crowe’s bond with the TNL family, and the region’s wonderful musicians and actors, provides inspiration as well for “Souling (Bonus Tracks Edition)” out this October 27 (worldwide through all major digital outlets). Expanding upon 2014’s singular all-acappella collection of sacred and traditional Christmas carols she performs – acappella and with choral-focus – select songs of heart and hearth from the popular songbook.

Concert, recording, and other Allison Crowe news is found on the artist’s original website @ http://allisoncrowe.com soon to merge with a band site currently @ http://www.allisoncrowe.com/wordpress

"Allison Crowe says so long to solo" + hello to pink hair

“Allison Crowe says so long to solo”: Laura Lavin, Editor of Monday magazine, in Victoria, BC, Canada, puts a fine focus on the musical family formed around Allison Crowe – a group ready for artistic revolution and fun: http://www.mondaymag.com/news/328960261.html

Starting next month – Billie Woods (guitar, vox), Celine Greb (cello, vox), and Dave Baird (bass) join Allison (vocals, piano, guitar, bodhran+) on stage and in the recording studio. Early in the New Year, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Sarah White unites with the band.

Long a supreme solo artist, Allison Crowe and bandmates are set to share with the whole world, via concerts, recordings, videos and more, "Soulful. Alive. Joyous. Grievous. Real, true, music."

"Decided to go back to my natural bubblegum pink hair... ;)" tweets @Allison_Crowe

Allison Crowe Band On-Stage

Canada’s Allison Crowe has emerged this century as one of the great popular songwriters and performers of the recording era. Amazing, fun, and exciting – her peerless catalogue and live shows are the stuff of legend.

"Soulful. Alive. Joyous. Grievous. Real, true, music is what I want to make”, she explains.

Now, the Allison Crowe Band create joy and beauty anew each time they perform. Allison (vocals, piano, guitar, bodhran+) is joined by: Billie Woods (guitar, vocals); Celine Greb (cello, vocals); and Dave Baird (acoustic & electric bass).

For some upcoming European concert dates the quartet will include multi-instrumentalist Sarah White (in place of Billie Woods, who is oft-traveling on photographic assignments). There’ll be times, too, when the group performs as a trio and a quintet!

It’s early days, with band fotos and recordings still to come. To introduce the line-up readying for shows and sessions at present, here’s a composite image of Allison, Billie, Celine and Dave in their respective positions on-stage.

Click on the foto above to view the band image in full-size

Glow of the Kerosene Light - higher fidelity shines

Allison Crowe, Billie Woods and Celine Greb perform Wince Coles' “By the Glow of the Kerosene Light” in their second-ever concert together. This higher-fidelity audio comes from Pender Island, Canada – and the Allison Crowe Band’s concert on Canada Day this year.

More concerts, and ever brighter musical fidelity from the group - which also features Dave Baird and Sarah White - is on its way.

And, to hear this great tune and more Newfoundland song treasures catch “Newfoundland Vinyl” at the Gros Morne Theatre Festival – on-stage through August 28, 2015. Take a spin through Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador’s website for word on this show, and all the terrific productions, at GMTF http://www.theatrenewfoundland.com/shows/newfoundland-vinyl-2015

Words - Allison Crowe Band - 30.06.2015 bootleg #5

“Words”, (the song’s end), wraps the video bootleg series documenting the birth of a band. Altogether, here’s Allison Crowe with l-r: Celine Greb (cello); Billie Woods (guitar); and Dave Baird (bass).

The group’s sensational debut means more concert bookings for Canada’s Pacific coast (Sidney/Victoria, Nanaimo and Vancouver are on the calendar for October/November 2015). At the same time, they’ll visit the newly re-opened Turtle Recording Studios of Larry Anschell and team to capture some of their musical magic in high-fidelity.

And, before long, Allison and the band bring it all to the world :)

Thanks, again, to Leslie Colly of Salt Spring Island, BC, for the historic boots!

Glow of the Kerosene Light - Allison Crowe Band - 30.06.2015 bootleg #4

Gorgeous harmonies are a feature of performances by Allison Crowe and bandmates Celine Greb (cellist) and Billie Woods (guitarist) - here “By the Glow of the Kerosene Light”.

 

 

This poignant song from the prodigious pen of Wince Coles was popularized by Newfoundland trio Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers. It’s performed this Summer by cast-members of “Newfoundland Vinyl” at the Gros Morne Theatre Festival (the hit TNL show runs to August 28, 2015). Coles and his songwriting brother, Ellis, hail from Carmanville in Hamilton Sound, NL. The invaluable website, “GEST Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador” details the bros’ full repertoire @ http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/acoles.htm

 

The tuneful glow of the Allison Crowe Band is reflected in this bootleg concert video by Leslie Colly of Salt Spring Island, Canada.

Arthur - Allison Crowe Band - 30.06.2015 bootleg #3

"Arthur", third song in the bootleg video collection of Leslie Colly, brings together Arthurian notions with ruminations on aging and the bonds of love.

Allison Crowe (vocals, piano) is joined by bandmates Billie Woods (guitar), Celine Greb (cello) and Dave Baird (bass) – live from All Saints by-the-Sea, in the musical hot-house of Salt Spring Island, BC.

 

Between Two Trees - Allison Crowe Band - 30.06.2015 bootleg #2

Bootleg video of the Allison Crowe Band captured recently on Salt Spring Island, Canada by Leslie Colley - “Between Two Trees” flows three-part harmonies of Allison Crowe accompanied by Celine Greb (cellist) and Billie Woods (guitarist). The band’s Dave Baird lays down the bass for this song penned by Charlie McKinnon of New Brunswick, Canada.

 

 

The tune was a hit for one of Newfoundland’s favourite music-makers, Harry Hibbs, in the 1970s. As Musical Director of “Newfoundland Vinyl”, a perennial favourite at Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador’s Gros Morne Theatre Festival, Allison Crowe curates and arranges songs for TNL's wonderfully talented and spirited cast and crew.

 

The melodies are so rich and universal they’re loved across Canada and internationally – where e’er Allison and, now, her band tour. “She has renewed with stylish vigor traditional songs that deserve new life and interpretations,” says East Coast Kitchen Party.

          

Crayon and Ink - Allison Crowe Band - 30.06.2015 bootleg

"Crayon and Ink” – the first-ever public performance by Allison Crowe's new band! Thanks to Leslie Colly of Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada - enjoy this concert bootleg from the sold-out show at All Saints by-the Sea, SSI.

It’s a season of record-breaking heat on Canada’s Pacific coast - with temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius on some dates. In this crucible Allison Crowe’s formed a band.

Allison (vocals, piano, guitar, bodhran) is joined by: guitarist-vocalist Billie Woods (born in Humboldt, Saskatchewan and home most of her life on Salt Spring); cellist-vocalist Celine Greb (originally from Pforzheim, in Germany’s Black Forest, and settling now in Canada); & upright/acoustic + electric bassist Dave Baird (dual-Canadian/UK citizen – w. grandparents from Scotland and parents from England and Malaysia).

Four Summers in a row, Allison’s been Musical Director of “Newfoundland Vinyl” - an hit show produced by Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador at the Gros Morne Theatre Festival (and conceived by TNL’s Artistic Director, Jeff Pitcher).

Making the most of a three-week hiatus in her Atlantic shores schedule this year, Allison, home in lovely Corner Brook, NL for a decade, flew to her beautiful birth-province of British Columbia for June/July 2015 sessions with the transnational/international combo.

The group debuted with a trio of radiant concerts on Salt Spring Island (with set decoration and catering by Lou Ellis of Coco Loco and her bonita brujas!), Pender Island, and Ladysmith, Vancouver Island.

Future dates include Deer Lake, NL-born Sarah White, a fellow Corner Brooker & TNLer, in the musical complement - harmonizing, and playing one of her many instruments: guitar, mandolin, guitar-banjo, tenor ukulele and bouzouki.

Concert news - and plenty more excitement - on its way.