Newfoundland Vinyl IV

Cause why not release a new album on your own birthday?

Hahaha #newmusic  #newfoundland  #vinyl



The lovely isle of Newfoundland, off Canada’s Atlantic coast, is inspiration for this collection – the newest in the “Vinyl” series from Corner Brook, NL musician Allison Crowe.

Allison’s in harbour with a boatful of tunes reveling in, and revealing, the region’s rich culture and history – stirring music that nourishes heart and soul.

The album opens with “Mice March” and spins to a replay with “Russian Dance”, both selections from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” – freshly arranged and performed “trad” style for Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador’s “Ed & Ed’s Newfoundland Christmas Concert”. And between these tracks is a bounty of adventuresome musical ideas – embracing songs of land and sea.

Traditional music, and modern favourites – funny, poignant, earthy and ethereal – all part of the “Newfoundland Vinyl” stage-show lovingly curated and directed by Allison Crowe each Summer at TNL’s Gros Morne Theatre Festival.

The album cover photograph by Allison shows us what she sees at home making music. And the songs themselves let us feel it all, as well. Joys and hardships be tugging on the heart-line first cast by Simani, and true as ever: “You might think she’s rugged and cold, but she’s home, sweet, home to me.”

Allison Crowe: all vocals, instruments, engineering and production.

Album cover photo: Allison Crowe.

Graphics: Mind Palace Design.

Release: November 16, 2018

Hurt

This is what I recorded the other day - NIN’s  “Hurt”  (by Trent Reznor, on “The Downward Spiral”) - recently requested and also requested by a friend 20 years ago, - who have birthdays 2 days apart it appears - so, I figured it was about time - happy birthday, Josh⁠, and Kristen ❤️ 

Sidebar: when I think of people I’d love to record with one day - Trent always is in my brain. Perfect Drug is my favourite music video. Pretty Hate Machine is one of the albums that helped me through teenagehood (Cause I am a huge Tori Amos fan if that wasn’t obvious hahaha) . #music #nineinchnails #trent_reznor #recordings #vero  #toriamos

Link's 9th!!

My little guy is 9 years old today he’s accepting all presents in the form of love #dachshund #dog #birthdayboy

Verses - Allison Crowe and Band Live!

Celebrating the birthday of Allison Crowe, a great artist of our lifetime, with this newest of recordings –  “Verses”.

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 up – this original song tagged with some trad.

Happy Birthday, dear Joni!

Happy Birthday to a child who’s moved 74 times ’round the seasons, skated o’er plenty clear frozen streams – and, as she’s circled, given us music of profound truth and beauty. Joni Mitchell, the great artist born on this date in Fort Macleod, Alberta – salut!

From Joni’s “Blue” album – in tribute, compatriot Allison Crowe with “River”:

(What's so Funny 'bout) Peace, Love and Understanding

“This song puts into words a lot of the things I'm feeling in a way that I have a hard time verbalizing clearly. It's been covered a lot. There's the Elvis Costello version which to me has a defiant protest like quality to it (as well as a kind of unique coolness that only Elvis can do in his own way) and the original which is deeply felt and how Nick Lowe sings it today is almost pleading. It really says so much. I hope to fall somewhere in the middle.”

 
Recorded by Allison Crowe for "Cover Me" blog's 10th Anniversary! Celebrate @ http://www.covermesongs.com/2017/10/cover-me-turns-ten.html  Mixed by Larry "Turtle" Anschell.

"Cover Me" Turns 10: Allison Crowe Brings Peace Note to Celebratory Album

“Ray Padgett founded the blog Cover Me in 2007 and has run it ever since, growing it into the largest blog devoted to cover songs on the web, with 80,000 individual readers a month. His music writing has appeared in SPIN, MTV, Vice, Consequence of Sound, and more, and he’s been interviewed as an expert on cover songs by the Wall Street Journal and the BBC. He lives in New York City and also works as a senior music publicist for Shore Fire Media, where his clients have included Ben Harper, Lana Del Rey, and Maxwell.” Today, Cover Me’s 10th birthday, Ray releases a present to music-lovers that’s been six-months-in-the-making:

“We wanted to do something special to celebrate our tenth birthday. And we wanted to celebrate not just ourselves, but celebrate the cover song itself. So we put together this little album Cover Me Turns 10: A Covers Tribute to Covers as a gift to our readers. We contacted several dozen of our musician friends and asked them to cover a cover. That is, to honor the many great songs we might not even know without an iconic cover – Aretha Franklin reinventing Otis Redding’s ‘Respect,’ Quiet Riot amplifying Slade’s call to feel the noize, Prince learning that nothing compares 2 Sinéad O’Connor.

We’re honored that so many of our favorite musicians contributed, and frankly speechless at how great a job they did. So speechless, in fact, that we asked them all to introduce their own work with a few sentences...” Celebrate @ http://www.covermesongs.com/2017/10/cover-me-turns-ten.html

Allison Crowe’s cover of “(What’s so Funny ‘bout) Peace, Love and Understanding”, closes this special tribute album.

Album cover art design by Sean Balkwill

The Icing on the Cake

and the finale... (this was difficult to film but you get the idea haha) #ganache #chocolate #baking #cake #birthday #scorpio #food

and the finale.... (this was difficult to film but you get the idea haha) #ganache #chocolate #baking #cake #birthday #scorpio #food

A video posted by Allison Crowe (@allison_crowe) on Nov 16, 2016 at 5:15pm PST

 Allison Crowe + the icing on the cake on Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/p/BM5HiAvgQfi

Sincerely, L. Cohen Covers

Brian Ibbott, Mayor of Coverville, USA, lights candles as well, today – with his podcast’s “tribute to singer, songwriter, poet and legend, Leonard Cohen” @ http://coverville.com/episodes/a-tribute-to-leonard-cohen - tweeting:

"For today’s ep, I tried to pick L.Cohen covers I haven’t played before. But you should check out covers by @allisoncrowe22 - I’ve played all... Would help if I got that Twitter account right! @Allison_Crowe - and it’s her birthday today! Check out her amazing L Cohen covers!... She does a beautiful Hallelujah, Chelsea Hotel No. 2, Bird on a Wire and Famous Blue Raincoat. All great." https://twitter.com/Coverville/status/798998064635793410

And here's Allison's take on L. Cohen's "Joan of Arc":

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

Happy Birthday, Allison :)

Celebrating - November 16!!

Foto Fun

Fun reveal - Allison Crowe's foto for "Sea and Be Scene" - to celebrate the 6th anniversary of Stephanie Beaumont's site saluting East Coast Canada! (with a contest, to boot) http://seaandbescene.com/2016/07/sabs-6th-birthday-salute-for-july-29th

Sea and Be Scene's 6th Anniversary Salute!

“Sea and Be Scene” is “celebrating 6 years of celebrating Canada’s East Coast”! Stephanie Beaumont, SABS Host, Publisher & Producer, is a clarion voice on the web and television, too, for what makes the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador so special!

 And there’s plenty that does! Rolling with this month’s anniversary fun, SABS catches up with “the truly gifted, ever gorgeous, always creative - Allison Crowe”. Find out what’s on Allison’s Summer musical menu and enter the stellar contests Stephanie’s rounded up for this big celebration! http://seaandbescene.com/2016/07/sabs-6th-birthday-salute-for-july-29th

Hearty congrats to Diane Arsenault of Beaver Cove, NS who’s already won a copy of “Heirs + Grievances”, the debut album from Allison Crowe and Band.

Allison and all of us salute Stephanie and “Sea and Be Scene” on this special anniversary!! Thanks for your super support of Maritime and Atlantic Canada @ http://seaandbescene.com & https://www.facebook.com/Sea-And-Be-Scene-Dot-Com-296089308206

Happy Birthday, Allison Crowe - November 16

Happy birthday to one of music's immortals - Allison Louise Crowe - born November 16, 1981.

Celebrating Al Pittman

April 11, today, marks the 75th anniversary of the birth of legendary Canadian writer Al Pittman (who passed away in 2001). Born in St. Leonard's, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, the cherished poet and playwright grew up in Corner Brook – home to musician Allison Crowe.



30 for 60 from Allison Crowe on Vimeo.

From Pittman’s 1999 selection of poetry, “Thirty for Sixty”, Newfoundland’s “Man of 1000 Songs” Ron Hynes set words to music – and a tradition of artistic regeneration is on deck once again here with Allison’s take on this elegiac hybrid.

King's in the Kitty

Elvis Aaron Presley’s born on this day, January 8, in 1935. Shuffling the video deck in tribute, here’s Allison Crowe dealing musical cards from Newfoundland singer-songwriter Ron Hynes and poet Al Pittman – “and life's about chances” – “30 for 60”:

Alleyluja - Happy Birthday+!!! ~ November 16

“Hallelujah – you'll never guess what happens next!” ’s’how this might be tagged if it were ‘click-bait’. Instead, it is an affectionately playful bit of fun to share on November 16 in celebration of this 33rd birthday of Allison Crowe. Simply: “Alleyluja” :)

Born in Nanaimo, BC on Vancouver Island and home now, for years, in Corner Brook, on the island of Newfoundland, nests that span the great expanse of Canada, Allison Crowe is singular in so many ways.

Her gifts and talents as vocalist/instrumentalist, composer, lyricist, arranger, performer and more place her among the greats of popular music.

In concert, people come for her varied repertoire of originals – favourites such as “Disease”, “There Is”, “Skeletons and Spirits”, “Crayon and Ink”, “Whether I’m Wrong” and plenty other songs she’s created since the start of a career launched professionally more than half her lifetime ago.

Loved as well, Crowe is, for her peerless interpretations – be they sea shanties of Newfoundland, or vital covers of modern classics composed by Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, the Beatles, Phil Ochs, Ani, Tori, PJ or CCs…

Hear, in this bootleg from Firenze, Italy, from a concerto at Teatro del Sale, "Alleyluja".

          

Happy Birthday, Allison Crowe!!!

Musician Allison Crowe, a true cultural great, turns 33 this November 16 - which is now in Newfoundland, Canada.

 

Here's the artist, clearly good with a line from earliest days...

 

Happy Birthday, Allison!!!

 

 

 

 

Crowe Family photo album

          

For the Roses - Joni Mitchell Birthday Tribute

November 7 – today – we celebrate the birthday of Joni Mitchell, Renaissance woman of heart and mind.

 Joni’s “For the Roses” is performed by Allison Crowe in tribute.

In My Life

“In My Life” – marking John Lennon’s birthday, here’s a “John song” from The Beatles – live-in-the-studio video from Allison Crowe.

 

The original (lower-res) video has been enjoyed over one million times on YouTube - thanks, in no small measure, to film-maker Alex Postowoi and crew, and audio engineer/producer Larry Anschell capturing faithfully the beauty of this song and performance.