In My Life - Day 25 on the Musical Advent Calendar

Fab song of love, remembrance - Day 25 of the Musical Advent Calendar: “In My Life”:

Each day through Christmas open a new song on Allison Crowe’s Musical Advent Calendar @ http://allisoncrowe.com/MusicalAdventCalendar2016.html

Adventures in Music

“Music can be something that unites us, that appeals to our shared humanity, rather than something that divides”, notes Chester, England’s Toby Goodwin, self-declared “music geek” behind the “musicgigsnthings” blog - delivering a 21-song Soundcloud playlist that brings together electro-pop, indie rock, jazz, folk, alt-rock, funky, grunge-tinged sounds and more – for this week’s edition of “Adventures in Music”: https://musicgigsnthings.wordpress.com/2016/07/18/adventures-in-music-10-07-16-16-07-16

Included in this set is “a singer with roots in Canada’s extremities, Corner Brook in Newfoundland and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, Allison Crowe and Band. ‘Silence’ has folk and country influences running through it but given her unique spin. Her voice quivers with emotion throughout and the melancholic strings only add to the poignancy of the song, which sends shivers down your spine” – https://soundcloud.com/allisoncrowe/silence-allison-crowe-and-band

Discover the full playlist – https://soundcloud.com/tobyone-4/sets/adventures-in-music-10-07-16

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

Timeless + Transcendent: Allison Crowe and Band on Tour and Record

Like Bob Dylan at Newport, like Bruce Springsteen at The Bottom Line, Allison Crowe and Band electrified musically on tour in Europe this past month. Here’s the group’s final bow – on stage in Brussels after the second or third encore of the night: l – r - Sarah White (mandolin, guitar, vocals); Céline Greb aka Lin Lin (cello, vocals); Dave Baird (bass); and Allison Crowe (vocals, piano, guitar, fiddle, bodhran).



This closing concert of the first leg of of the “Heirs + Grievances” tour happens in a place where love and life carry on following recent tragedy. Allison Crowe’s performance of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” blew past the soundboard’s limits, allowing artist and audience to continue a capella while the audio equipment was reset.

The power of music to transcend was evident throughout the group’s month-long tour of Germany, Slovenia, Italy, England and Belgium.

Waking now in Canada, the debut album of Allison Crowe and Band is named 'CD of the Week' by Tom Harrison, dean of western Canada’s rock music writers.

“In the past,” notes Harrison, “Crowe has devoted herself to trad folk, contemporary rock, Christmas songs and music of Leonard Cohen, all of which have merged into these two discs to create a portrait of an idealist — with the addition of her between-songs talk on the live recording revealing a bubbly personality.”

Full review @:

http://www.theprovince.com/entertainment/garage+spirit+west+leaves+high+note/11860460/story.html

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

"Imagine" + "In My Life"

Remembering and celebrating John Lennon on this, the 75th, anniversary of his birth in Liverpool, England. Here’s Allison Crowe performing the peace anthem “Imagine”:

Here’s a “John” song from his time with the Fabs – “In My Life”.



Both, this Beatles’ classic, and the iconic “Imagine”, created during John’s solo years, appear in interpretations on the album playlist “Muruch.com Presents: Allison Crowe” coming this Monday, October 12 – Thanksgiving in Canada!

Wassail Song

Like souling and caroling, (even the more sonorous of trick-or-treating), wassailing can involve a merry band of people going door-to-door and singing from porch-steps. (Though some go a-wassailing to the orchard where they can serenade the trees.) Fortifying such merriment may be a supply of cider, punch, mulled wine, or spicy ale.

Dipping anew into the bowl of this season’s traditional music, here’s Allison Crowe’s serving of the “Wassail Song”

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

This traditional Christmas carol dates originally to 18th century England - and makes an appearance in Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" almost 100 years later. In this new millenium, Allison Crowe delivers the song a cappella - on her album "Souling".

The music's visual accompaniment is an excerpt from "Peace on Earth", a 1939 Academy Award-nominated cartoon directed by Hugh Harman.

http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/souling

Allison Crowe’s gorgeous voice brings tidings of comfort and joy with “Souling” – her 11th full album release.

The artist, one of our greatest living musicians, singer-songwriters and performers, has always created authentic music. With this newest song set her voice is heard wholly a cappella.

The songs themselves have a purity of expression – a 21st century take on music of faith and spirit – sounds and themes aired by carollers and soulers of old.

The genesis of “Souling” is found in the bond Allison Crowe’s formed with the creative family at Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador. Founded in 1979, this professional theatre company presents a dynamic and diverse repertoire of plays and maintains, as well, a strong commitment to youth theatre in the Atlantic Canada community.

For these past three Summers TNL’s engaged Crowe as Musical Director of “Newfoundland Vinyl” - a perennial favourite at the annual Gros Morne Theatre Festival. Following another hit season at GMTF, in late August of this year TNL Artistic Associate SaraH McDonald invited the Corner Brook, NL-based musician to serve the same role with 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 carollers.

So inspired, Allison Crowe immersed herself in curating the music for the abundantly-talented, multi-aged, choir of singers who performed in “A Christmas Carol” at the Corner Brook Arts and Culture Centre from November 27th – 30th, 2014.

This artistic process of selection and arrangement led to her recording solo versions of those songs that will receive another distinct breath of life from the TNL vocal ensemble.

(In parallel fashion, the first season’s run of “Newfoundland Vinyl” brought forth Allison Crowe’s album of the same name – one of 2013’s top recordings. Culture blog Muruch praised it as a “lovely, vintage collection of traditional Irish and Canadian folk ballads, lively sea chanteys and drinking songs, parlour songs and country tunes” possessing “unique charm” and “the timeless beauty of a classic folk album”.)

In 2003, (and expanded in 2004), Allison Crowe released Tidings – an album of singular interpretations - “River” (Joni Mitchell), “Hallelujah” (Leonard Cohen), “In My Life” (The Beatles) and more from the secular canon – alongside such favourite traditional carols as “Silent Night”, “The First Noel”, and “O Holy Night”. Tidings has proven to be a modern classic – “music for the season and all time”.

This time out, as befits TNL’s telling of “A Christmas Carol”, Allison Crowe gives pure voice to the sacred songbook. “Souling” is:

Soul Cake
I Saw Three Ships
That Night in Bethlehem (Don Oíche úd i mBeithil)
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
The Wexford Carol
The Holly and the Ivy
In the Bleak Midwinter (Cranham)
Ding Dong Merrily on High
Once in Royal David’s City
Wassail Song

“Souling” is available now via Allison Crowe’s own website @ http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/souling as well as on iTunes @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/souling/id933188580 plus CD Baby @ http://cdbaby.com/cd/allisoncrowe10 and all major digital music outlets worldwide.

In the Bleak Midwinter (Cranham)

On “Souling”, her new Christmas music collection, Allison Crowe delivers an a cappella reading of “In the Bleak Midwinter” – a song also heard, and quite differently, on her classic “Tidings” album.

Words from poet Christina G. Rossetti (1830 – 1894) are set to a tune by Gustav Holst (1874-1934), composed in a cottage in the village of Cranham, county Gloucestershire, England. In modern times, on both of Canada’s coasts, in Newfoundland and British Columbia, Allison Crowe arranges, performs and records this beautiful song of the season.

Allison Crowe’s gorgeous voice brings tidings of comfort and joy with “Souling” – her 11th full album release: http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/souling

The artist, one of our greatest living musicians, singer-songwriters and performers, has always created authentic music.

With this newest song set her voice is heard wholly a cappella.

The songs themselves have a purity of expression – a 21st century take on music of faith and spirit – sounds and themes aired by carollers and soulers of old.

The genesis of “Souling” is found in the bond Allison Crowe’s formed with the creative family at Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador. Founded in 1979, this professional theatre company presents a dynamic and diverse repertoire of plays and maintains, as well, a strong commitment to youth theatre in the Atlantic Canada community.

For these past three Summers TNL’s engaged Crowe as Musical Director of “Newfoundland Vinyl” - a perennial favourite at the annual Gros Morne Theatre Festival. Following another hit season at GMTF, in late August of this year TNL Artistic Associate SaraH McDonald invited the Corner Brook, NL-based musician to serve the same role with 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 carollers.

So inspired, Allison Crowe immersed herself in curating the music for the abundantly-talented, multi-aged, choir of singers who performed in “A Christmas Carol” at the Corner Brook Arts and Culture Centre from November 27th – 30th, 2014.

This artistic process of selection and arrangement led to her recording solo versions of those songs that will receive another distinct breath of life from the TNL vocal ensemble.

(In parallel fashion, the first season’s run of “Newfoundland Vinyl” brought forth Allison Crowe’s album of the same name – one of 2013’s top recordings. Culture blog Muruch praised it as a “lovely, vintage collection of traditional Irish and Canadian folk ballads, lively sea chanteys and drinking songs, parlour songs and country tunes” possessing “unique charm” and “the timeless beauty of a classic folk album”.)

In 2003, (and expanded in 2004), Allison Crowe released Tidings – an album of singular interpretations - “River” (Joni Mitchell), “Hallelujah” (Leonard Cohen), “In My Life” (The Beatles) and more from the secular canon – alongside such favourite traditional carols as “Silent Night”, “The First Noel”, and “O Holy Night”. Tidings has proven to be a modern classic – “music for the season and all time”.

This time out, as befits TNL’s telling of “A Christmas Carol”, Allison Crowe gives pure voice to the sacred songbook. “Souling” is:

Soul Cake
I Saw Three Ships
That Night in Bethlehem (Don Oíche úd i mBeithil)
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
The Wexford Carol
The Holly and the Ivy
In the Bleak Midwinter (Cranham)
Ding Dong Merrily on High
Once in Royal David’s City
Wassail Song

“Souling” is available now via Allison Crowe’s own website @ http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/souling as well as on iTunes @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/souling/id933188580 plus CD Baby @ http://cdbaby.com/cd/allisoncrowe10 and all major digital music outlets worldwide.

Unexpected Diversion Ahead

Stephen Fry, the wonderful English comedian, actor, writer, presenter, and activist, has open-sourced his newest memoir, “More Fool Me”. 

Fry and his publisher, Penguin Random House, cordially invite us all to “reinterpret it in any language or form, including text, data visualisation, app, audio and 3D modelling. Samples of text, metadata, imagery and audio from the new book and Fry’s previous memoir The Fry Chronicles, are available for download via a special WeTransfer Plus page. And Penguin Books is challenging people to turn them into their own innovative takes on Fry’s memoirs.”

Allison Crowe’s mash-up brings together Stephen’s narration, with her music, and the filmic essence of Buster Keaton, from his silent era classic, “The General” – on the selected text’s theme of mental health.

http://yourfry.com/interpretations/unexpected-diversion-ahead-4 

Learn more about the “YourFry” project @ http://yourfry.com/ and hear it explained by Stephen Fry himself @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqahjME6Tbg

And follow via Twitter hashtags #yourfry & #yourfry20mfm

I Can Stand a Little Pain au Chocolat

Paris Voice magazine calls Allison Crowe: "One of the best interpreters to come along since Joe Cocker". Appropriately, it's a French pastry that brings to mind a Cocker song, or, is it the song that brings to mind the French pastry... either way, Allison's newest posting on her 7 Thumbs Up blog, "A Celebration of Life, Love and Food", makes me go "I Can Stand a Little Pain au Chocolat":


A nod to the goodness of flaky, buttery, croissant dough, chocolate and this Jim Price tune performed by mighty Joe from Sheffield on his 1974 album...

Skeletons and Spirits - Animation by Christina Worby

Post V-Day, here's the flip-side to love's bliss.

Directed and produced by Christina Worby, City College Norwich, England comes this trippy video of Allison Crowe's song "Skeletons and Spirits".