Songs of Life and Death

With, both, “Cover Me” and “Coverville”, a pair of the world’s premiere homes for lovers of cover songs, sending birthday wishes to Allison Crowe today, it’s an invitation to explore the artist’s body of interpretive work. All music can be found linked via the “ABC List” @ http://www.allisoncrowe.com/ABC.html 

A supreme interpreter and arranger of songs - traditional, Celtic, jazz, Broadway, hymns, carols and aires – Crowe’s famed for her renewal of popular songs – including those first penned by Canadian icons Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen, and Atlantic coast treasures Gary O’Driscoll, Al Pittman / Ron Hynes, Wince Coles, Harry Hibbs+, alongside tunes from The Beatles, Pearl Jam, Tori Amos, Ani DiFranco,Counting Crows, Lovin’ Spoonful, Phil Ochs, Annie Lennox, Radiohead, Ronnie Shannon, Patty Griffin, Kris Kristofferson, the Rolling Stones and more.

In this rich and varied repertoire, each of Crowe’s singular performances is a favourite.

Having just come off the road with Allison Crowe and Band – during our travels we learned of Leonard Cohen’s passing. Tonight, his manager released these details:

“Leonard Cohen died during his sleep following a fall in the middle of the night on November 7th. The death was sudden, unexpected, and peaceful. He is survived by his children Adam and Lorca, and his three grandchildren Cassius (Adam’s son), and Viva and Lyon (Lorca’s daughter and son).” http://cohencentric.com/2016/11/16/statement-details-leonard-cohens-death-robert-kory-president-rk-management-manager-leonard-cohen

Allison Crowe, together with countless people all over our world, shares a special bond with the bard “born with the gift of a golden voice”. This relationship intertwines with the DNA of Leonard Cohen songs – among those in her repertoire is his universal “Hallelujah”. Of this, “Cover Me” founder and editor Ray Padgett opines:

“Born in British Columbia, Crowe has amassed a loyal following in Canada and Europe. The songwriter’s songwriter pure tones sound like a bell, no show-off acrobatics necessary. The amazing thing isn’t just that she performs the best version of Leonard Cohen‘s oft-covered ‘Hallelujah’ (sorry Jeff); the amazing thing is that she does so using the same solo piano style that everyone else does. There’s nothing particularly creative about it; her voice is just that good! So throw all those other ‘sensitive’ covers. This one’s the keeper.”

The blog 'anacronyms' says:“Crowe's version is a living thing, a meditation and a celebration and a benediction."

Thank you, sincerely, L. Cohen. We have the music.

Spotlight on... November 16

Today - November 16 - marks the birthday of the great musical artist, Allison Crowe. Celebrated as an original songwriter and performer in popular music genres, Allison's song interpretations are also globally loved. "Cover Me" tweets in appreciation, reprising this Spotlight from the blog’s founding editor, Ray Padgett @ http://www.covermesongs.com/2010/07/in-the-spotlight-allison-crowe.html

"Happy birthday to Canadian singer-songwriter @Allison_Crowe. Hear her covers of Stones, Pearl Jam, Cyndi Lauper +more" https://twitter.com/covermesongs/status/798977733803921408

“There are some voices that speak (or sing) for themselves. You know the ones. Voices where it doesn’t matter what they sing. Voices where it doesn’t really matter what instruments support them. Solomon Burke has such a voice. Jeff Buckley had it. Allison Crowe has it too...”

Allison Crowe in Dublin - foto by Billie Woods

Coverville - Birds of a Feather

Coverville!, the long-running awarding-winning podcast and radio program today presents its "Episode 883: On a dark desert highway, indie hodgepodge in my hair".

Coverville's Host and Producer Brian Ibbott kindly includes "the amazing, amazing, voice of Allison Crowe" - performing Leonard Cohen's "Bird on the Wire", in this collection that also features covers of Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Badfinger, the Allman Brothers, Sara Bareilles, John Prine, Rolling Stones and an instrumental of George Gershwin's "Summertime".

Over the years, this pioneering 'cast has enlisted Allison's recordings for cover stories on the Eurythmics, The Lovin' Spoonful, Counting Crows, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, and fittingly - her first-ever appearance on Coverville was in Episode 202 - when she and Peter Gabriel, Madeleine Peyroux, Laura Burhenn, The Pixies, Maxx Klaxon, kd lang, and Jennifer Warnes were heard in "The Leonard Cohen Cover Story".

Allison Crowe - first-ever guitar performance in concert - Bewley's Café Theatre, Dublin, Ireland - Billie Woods foto

Episode 370, airing October 9, 2007, John Lennon's birthday - is devoted to on-air chat with Allison Crowe, and spinning her covers of Counting Crows, Hunters and Collectors, Cyndi Lauper, and Joni Mitchell.

You can play, and download, all 883 Episodes of Coverville, and become a Citizen, online - and hear Coverville on KYCY 1550 AM in San Francisco every day at 2 pm. And, if you're going that route, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.

It's a show you can check out any time you like - but you can never leave unhappy :)

Angel

"The sounds fumbling from 'Surfacing' played out as soundtrack to a large chunk of my teenage-hood," Allison Crowe tells UK music writer Stephen Thomas ('We Write Lists' blog). Naturally, then, Allison chose a song from that Sarah McLachlan album to close her "Tidings" collection. Here it is, "Angel", ethereal and real.

Shine a Light

Mick Jagger was still looking for some tea and sympathy, & long before Keith Richards was a tropical pirate, "The Glimmer Twins" and co. in The Rolling Stones were in the south of France, recording an epic song collection, "Exile on Main Street". Here's Allison Crowe and her live-off-the-floor take on one of those tunes, "Shine a Light" (accompanied by Dave Baird, bass, and Kevin Clevette, drums).

In My Life

We've heard a "Paul song" from "Tidings", here, now, is a "John song". Allison Crowe performs "In My Life". On the stage of the Village Hall, Durness, Scottish Highlands, Allison played this Beatles' favourite for John Lennon's sister, Julia, and other relatives, local villagers and musicians and music-lovers from across Europe come together to celebrate the "John Lennon Northern Lights Festival." We all shine on...

Let It Be

"Let It Be" is our next "Tidings" song - captured live-off-the-floor at Turtle studios in White Rock, Canada. There's another "Let It Be" performance, recorded in the same studio, and on YouTube. The Beatles songbook is rich for interpreters and this gospel-inflected tune by John Lennon and Paul McCartney is one which Allison Crowe loves to perform and have people sing along.

Hallelujah

Next album to enjoy is "Tidings". To spur Spring, with the robins and the crocuses, we'll save "seasonal" songs for when we want the snow... And, so, we begin with "Hallelujah" - Allison Crowe's much-loved version of what's become Leonard Cohen's most-covered song. Allison's single/first-take performance is recorded live-off-the-floor at Larry Anschell's Turtle Recording studios, White Rock, British Columbia, Canada

Cover Me Covers Crowe

Cover Me, the covers blog penned New York-based music writer, Ray Padgett, (SPIN, Consequence of Sound, Mashable and others) features In the Spotlight: Allison Crowe

"There are some voices that speak (or sing) for themselves. You know the ones. Voices where it doesn’t matter what they sing. Voices where it doesn’t really matter what instruments support them. Solomon Burke has such a voice. Jeff Buckley had it. Allison Crowe has it too."

So begins a posting which well showcases a cross-section of Allison's cover work - Rolling Stones, Cyndi Lauper, Pearl Jam, The Beatles and, says Padgett, "the best version of Leonard Cohen’s oft-covered 'Hallelujah' ".



Check out Cover Me for this Allison installment, and, for lots more on the art and fun of interpretation.

Songs Sung Summer

It's pretty much Summertime here in the northern hemisphere. Canucks celebrate Canada Day today, and the big Independence Day holiday happens this weekend in the USA.

Allison Crowe is celebrating this period of great artistic success and reaching new milestones in her progress as an independent musical force. The band, recently formed with guitarist Billie Woods, bassist Dave Baird and percussionist Laurent Boucher, is a rocking combo.

These are exciting times. Thank you for listening, writing, and being in touch in all ways.

July and August will see a focus on writing, recording, bike-riding, and all 'round fun. (Live touring resumes in the Fall.) Marking this moment, here be a selection of repertoire-spanning tunes:



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Photographic images by Billie Woods and the illustration accompanying the "Midnight" audio is by "tradigital" artist boki.b - from Vienna, now living in sunny Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Rust never sleeps, so, to keep check on a bureaucracy targeting creators and educators, using as props the dual straw men of terrorism and illegal immigration, here's the Visiting Artists and Academics Petition

For some related Summer+ reading, you can download and read the report: "UK Arts and Culture: Cancelled by Order of the Home Office"