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 

Unstable

Robert Plant, Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, Joe Cocker, Ann and Nancy Wilson (Heart), Eddie Vedder… visceral rock singers of legend.

 

Among Allison Crowe’s early studio recording experiences was a kind invitation from “Her Royal Majesty’s Records”, the label started by Canada’s own rock/punk/poet icon, Bif Naked. Naked’s manager and HRMR co-founder, music industry veteran Peter Karroll remarked upon first hearing the island-based musician: “She is reminiscent of some of the great women vocalists who shaped rock music in the late '60s and early '70s. Allison's emotional delivery is unique in today's music."

 

Here’s “Unstable” - one of the songs Allison Crowe performed in those days with her bandmates Dave Baird (bass) and Kevin Clevette (drums). It’s recorded in White Rock, BC’s Turtle studios by Larry Anschell (who’s captured music of Bif, Pearl Jam, Sarah McLachlan ++).

The accompanying visual is excerpted from an experimental 1928 film version of Edgar Allan Poe’s 1839 short story, “The Fall of the House of Usher”. Directed and photographed by James Sibley Watson, Jr. – it’s a cinematic adaptation Watson co-wrote with Melville Webber (who also designed the sets for this American avant-garde piece). An early scenario for the film was written by poet and essayist+ e.e. cummings.

Hallelujah Considered

Allison Crowe’s singular interpretation of “Hallelujah” was first released on record in 2003. The Leonard Cohen classic has been covered hundreds of times since – by country acts, pop idols, crooners, swooners and more. Allison’s rare, visceral, artistry remains timeless and, today, “Cohencentric: Leonard Cohen Considered” places in its firmament this iconic video - one of the world's most-loved versions of the song (filmed live-in-the-studio of Canada’s Turtle Recording):

http://cohencentric.com/2015/04/08/video-allison-crowe-performs-hallelujah-by-leonard-cohen

Hallelujah - Allison Crowe performs Leonard Cohen from Allison Crowe on Vimeo.

Delay - Musical Decade Shines Still Brighter

"Once you’ve heard one Allison Crowe song, You’ve heard one Allison Crowe song," says Allan Showalter, the erudite mystery-man behind the enriching and entertaining Leonard Cohen-centric blog, 1 Heck of a Guy.

With the good doctor's observation in mind - here's another one from Allison:



This, a diamond mined 10+ years ago - and the musical equivalent to kimberlite pipes are richer than ever. The fuller origin story can be found on the YouTube page hosting "Delay".

Disease (08/03/08)

An international review declares "the energy of 'Disease' can easily provide electricity to a small country for a decade." Here is Allison Crowe captured live by Turtle Recording's Larry Anschell and Brad Graham. "Once more shifting genres, moods, and techniques, 'Disease'," says 1 Heck of a Guy, "is a passionate look into the dark side of human connectedness manifest in a song played with operatic ferocity."

Lisa's Song

"Lisa's Song" completes this EP/CD. In Summer 2002 Lisa Marie Young is abducted during a night out with friends in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Allison Crowe returns home from tour to learn her high-school friend is missing. (More on this tragedy @ Lisa's Page) Allison's trio are invited into Seacoast Sound where Rick Erickson records this performance ripped from the soul.

Philosophy

"Philosophy" is today's selection on "6 Songs". Fittingly, it closes that EP/CD - just as the song closed many a concert when Allison Crowe rocked out with her band. As the final song of a concert set or encore, Allison would often build to a coda of Pearl Jam's "Jeremy". It was all mighty frenzied. With bassist Dave Baird deep in the groove, drummer Kevin Clevette's drumsticks would splinter amidst the Bacchanalia.

Scared

"Scared" is our pick for today. "This song is about not being afraid to stand up for yourself and what you believe in, to speak out even in the most adverse of circumstances," says Allison Crowe. (On YouTube is a Scared music video - created by Angela Kendall and Brian Dutkewich of transmission2videos who've later made vids for Tegan and Sara, Death Cab for Cutie, Jets Overhead +)

Dark Blue

"Dark Blue" is today's song - from the "6 Songs" session. Once more, Allison Crowe (vocals, piano) is joined by Dave Baird (bass) and Kevin Clevette (drums) for this live-off-the-floor take captured by Engineer/Producer Larry Anschell (Pearl Jam's "Alive", Sarah McLachlan's "Gloomy Sunday" and mucho more).

Crayon and Ink

Song of today, from the "6 Songs" session, is an epic favourite of many - "Crayon and Ink". Recorded live-off-the-floor by Allison Crowe, and bassist Dave Baird and drummer Kevin Clevette. Artwork for this EP (Extended Play) CD, and its subsequent editions is by Allison, with the cover photo by Gord Christmas. Happy Sunday!

Midnight

Here's a song that's had several incarnations - this is the first. "Midnight", also recorded by Allison Crowe and trio (Dave Baird, Kevin Clevette) at Turtle, that afternoon in July 2001. Allison's songs are pretty much all autobiographical. Some, like this one, contain verbatim passages of her life :)



Allison Crowe, Lisa's Song, 6 Songs, EP, Turtle, Larry Anschell, Dave Baird, Kevin Clevette, piano, voice, drums, bass, rock, jazz, folk, indie, passion, Midnight, Pearl Jam

Fade Away

Background: On Allison Crowe's facebook Artist page, Turkish fan Furkan Sidar started things rolling with a song request, and it proved so much fun, I realized - there's over 100 songs released on Allison's seven albums and not everyone has heard all this music. Thus begins a series of a song every-day-or-so to bring all of this music to ears anew.

"Fade Away" on Allison Crowe's first release, an EP called "6 Songs", was written when Allison was 15. In July 2001 Allison and trio - Dave Baird on bass, Kevin Clevette on drums - traveled to Seattle, USA to join Pearl Jam fans for a "Worldwide Convergence". Stopping en route for a session at Larry Anschell's Turtle Recording Studios in White Rock, BC, they recorded six songs "live-off-the-floor". This is the first.