Saturday, October 20, 2012

Great Voice, Heart in World's Embrace

Musician Allison Crowe and her tour-mates, photographer-musician Billie Woods and road manager-driver Axel Dollheiser, depart today from lovely Quedlinburg, birthplace of the German nation.

This marks the final point in a magical concert tour – the stuff of legend.

Andreas Wiesentau reports of last night’s show “there was applause, applause, applause, applause, applause, applause, applause, applause!”

The standing ovations, and, on average, three encores a night, across this European tour are emblematic of a deep, and broadening, love between artist and audience.

Thank you, danke, grazie, merci – Mampf, Frankfurt, Osterkirche, Berlin, SHAPE Club, Mons, Inninger Spectacel, Inning am Ammersee, Teatro del Sale, Firenze, Palais Salfeldt, Quedlinburg – and all the people of Germany, Belgium, Italy, and all countries, encountered in every way!!!

May we meet again :)


Quedlinburg, Germany - nestled in the Harz Mountains, host to the final concert of the tour - Allison Crowe foto


Allison Crowe, one of the great artists of this, or any, time, soon returns home to Canada – following a loving, and smashingly fun and successful, European concert tour.

In North America, she’s been likened to Joni Mitchell, Eddie Vedder, Edith Piaf, Elton John… To these, continental perception now adds the names of modern-day composer, author and actor, Konstantin Wecker, one of Germany’s best-known singer-songwriters, and Modest Mussorgsky, innovative Russian composer.

Christian Meindl kindly provides us with this translation of a konzert review – published recently in Germany's largest paid circulation newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung. Chris notes that he's not a "native speaker" - still, this translation sure helps the English-language reader appreciate the universal appeal of Allison Crowe:

GREAT VOICE

The Canadian singer Allison Crowe at the „Spectacel“ in Inning

Of course, she had to play her absolute hit, the song which was written by Leonard Cohen and gained her fame: „Hallelujah“. In doing so, Allison Crowe performs the song without any trace of kitsch, sings with a high sound intensity, a bit blues orientated and with a dedication which shows almost religious tendencies. Gooseflesh music. The renters of Inning’s musical center, the “Spectacel”, made it to commit Allison Crowe for one evening.

Already with her first introductions, Allison Crowe wins the favor of the audience and increases the expectations with her coloratural laugh. Allison Crowe plays the piano with a strong grip. Its sound fits perfect to her light-smoky, expressive, in short: great voice. Sometimes, her play remembers to the keyboard-capers of Konstantin Wecker and in the following moment to Modest Mussorgsky’s „Pictures at an Exhibition“.

Crowe’s vocals stay also steady at higher tones and enthused at the lows. Wonderful ballads alternate with hard played songs. The lyrics are always well articulated. Allison Crowe plays guitar as well, accompanies her vocals with mellow sounds. Followed by hard rhythms on the piano. She starts the „Hallelujah“ with a wonderful melancholic introduction, sings with great fervor and shows what her voice is able to perform.

Another strong voice has Billie Woods who opens the concert with her songs. The as well attractive as high-musical singer and guitarist surprises with her unusual chord structure for what she’d to retune her instrument a few times. And that the guitar is intrinsically a rhythm-instrument is proofed by Billie Woods with lots of persuasiveness.

Of course, both musicians have to play encores.

PETER BAIER

Süddeutsche Zeitung, Tuesday, October 16, 2012

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Friday, September 17, 2010

Canadian Crowe's Annual Musical Migration Underway

Musician Allison Crowe, who calls Nanaimo, BC and Corner Brook, NL, home, is set for her annual European migration confirms European road manager, Camille Schmah.

The bicoastal Canadian tours Europe at least once or twice each year and her "Spiral" Europa Tournee 2010 takes flight this month - with concert visits to Frankfurt, Nijmegen, Aachen, Gentilly - Paris, Vienna, Florence, Berlin and Quedlinburg.

From a land that's brought forth such legendary singer-songwriters as Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen, this "old world" is witnessing a singular talent of a new generation.

With the release of her newest album, "Spiral", UK music blog "We Write Lists" declares her "Canada's finest songwriter" - building on acclaim from MOJO, TimeOut, the BBC and other UK media. Swedish reviewer Anna Maria Stjärnell says that on "Spiral", Allison Crowe "sings her heart out. She's made yet another album to treasure." Underscoring one of her unique characteristics, this week, "Paris Voice" labels Crowe "one of the best interpreters to come along since Joe Cocker".

Embodying songwriting, as well as interpretive, artistry of the highest order is rare enough. To these, Allison Crowe brings intense energy and honesty in performance - undoing any stereotypes of the modern singer-songwriter as purveyor of flaccid folk, plastic pop, or regurgitated rock tropes.

Longtime Canadian radio and television personality, Rick Dennis, (now creator/host of CICV's "Rick's Country Classics and Folk Favorites"), told his radio audience, after Crowe's appearance at "Special Woodstock", this Summer: "You really have to see Allison Crowe live. The way she splits those notes, it's like light through a prism - all the colours of a song."

For select concerts on her upcoming Euro tour, Allison Crowe is joined by guest artists: Holland's Leontine Snoeren; France's Emily B. Green; and Canadian-Brazilian Billie Rocha-Woods. Details can be found @ http://www.allisoncrowe.com/tour.html

23.09 Jazzlokal Mampf - Frankfurt, Germany
25.09 De Lindenberg - Nijmegen, Netherlands
30.09 Aula Carolina - Aachen, Germany
02.10 Auditorium du Conservatoire - Gentilly / Paris, France
08.10 Tunnel Vienna Live - Vienna, Austria
12.10 Teatro del Sale - Florence, Italy
15.10 Osterkirche - Berlin-Wedding, Germany
16.10 Blasiikirche - Quedlinburg, Germany

The essence, articulated by operators of Teatro del Sale in Firenze, home to famed Chef Fabio Picchi and Artist Maria Cassi, is "la ricerca della qualità della vita"!

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Thursday, September 16, 2010

Spiral Europa Tournee set for launch

"In the flicker of an eyelash - and a nap, I’m off to Germany..."


Word on Allison Crowe's upcoming "Spiral" European concert series is coming this week. For the moment, here's a look at a concert poster - with original artwork by Tara Thelen - whose painting "Look at Me" is the album/CD cover of "Spiral".

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