La Vie en Rose: A Time for Tidings

The spirit of Edith Piaf, “The Little Sparrow”, soars. Allison Crowe with Céline Sawchuk are the wind beneath the wings of “La Vie en Rose”, composed by Piaf (Edith Giovanna Gassion) & Louiguy (Louis Guglielmi):

A Time for Tidings

https://allisoncrowe.bandcamp.com/album/a-time-for-tidings

Canada's amazing Allison Crowe (vocals, piano & guitar), Vancouver Island-born, Newfoundland-nested singer-songwriter, pairs with exquisite cellist/vocalist Céline Sawchuk, born in Germany's Black Forest and now home on Salt Spring Island, BC to bring “Tidings” – music for the season & all-time.

"A Time for Tidings", cabaret-style live from the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, stirs together traditional Christmas and holiday evergreens with year-round musical treats from English, French and German repertoire. It's an organic blend of rock, jazz, folk, roots and soul to reflect and refresh all our emotions.

Uniting a range of rich cultural traditions, Allison Crowe with Céline Sawchuk deliver real wonderment, solace and joy.

"Allison Crowe's voice is as much a manifestation of Christmas spirit today as Bing Crosby's was in 1942. It's as warm as an open fire; as gorgeous as snow-frosted evergreens; as tender as that hug you give your mother on Christmas day" – The Pique

"Be prepared to be amazed" – ChristmasReviews

Music recorded and engineered by Leif Henderson at "The Cultch". Thanks, as well, to Audio Archivist John MacMillan.

Album Art: Alick Tsui Photography + Mind Palace Design

Merry Christmas! Frohe Weihnachten! Joyeux Noel! Buon Natale! +

Best o' the season to you and yours!!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Peace

Tochter Zion + Stille Nacht (Silent Night): A Time for Tidings

Celebrating this season with an Euro single – “Tochter Zion / Stille Nacht (Silent Night)” – Allison Crowe with Céline Sawchuk and a pair of traditional songs this Christmastime.

A Time for Tidings

https://allisoncrowe.bandcamp.com/album/a-time-for-tidings

Canada's amazing Allison Crowe (vocals, piano & guitar), Vancouver Island-born, Newfoundland-nested singer-songwriter, pairs with exquisite cellist/vocalist Céline Sawchuk, born in Germany's Black Forest and now home on Salt Spring Island, BC to bring “Tidings” – music for the season & all-time.

"A Time for Tidings", cabaret-style live from the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, stirs together traditional Christmas and holiday evergreens with year-round musical treats from English, French and German repertoire. It's an organic blend of rock, jazz, folk, roots and soul to reflect and refresh all our emotions.

Uniting a range of rich cultural traditions, Allison Crowe with Céline Sawchuk deliver real wonderment, solace and joy.

"Allison Crowe's voice is as much a manifestation of Christmas spirit today as Bing Crosby's was in 1942. It's as warm as an open fire; as gorgeous as snow-frosted evergreens; as tender as that hug you give your mother on Christmas day" – The Pique

"Be prepared to be amazed" – ChristmasReviews

Music recorded and engineered by Leif Henderson at "The Cultch". Thanks, as well, to Audio Archivist John MacMillan.

Album Art: Alick Tsui Photography + Mind Palace Design

Merry Christmas! Frohe Weihnachten! Joyeux Noel! Buon Natale! +

Best o' the season to you and yours!!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Peace 

A Time for Tidings: Allison Crowe w. Celine Sawchuk

Canada's amazing Allison Crowe (vocals, piano & guitar), Vancouver Island-born, Newfoundland-nested singer-songwriter, pairs with exquisite cellist/vocalist Celine Sawchuk, born in Germany's Black Forest and now home on Salt Spring Island, BC to bring “Tidings” – music for the season & all-time. 

"A Time for Tidings", cabaret-style live from the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, stirs together traditional Christmas and holiday evergreens with year-round musical treats from English, French and German repertoire. It's an organic blend of rock, jazz, folk, roots and soul to reflect and refresh all our emotions.

Uniting a range of rich cultural traditions, Allison Crowe with Céline Sawchuk deliver real wonderment, solace and joy.

"Allison Crowe's voice is as much a manifestation of Christmas spirit today as Bing Crosby's was in 1942. It's as warm as an open fire; as gorgeous as snow-frosted evergreens; as tender as that hug you give your mother on Christmas day" – The Pique

"Be prepared to be amazed" – ChristmasReviews

Music recorded and engineered by Leif Henderson at "The Cultch". Thanks, as well, to Audio Archivist John MacMillan.

Album Art: Alick Tsui Photography + Mind Palace Design

Merry Christmas! Frohe Weihnachten! Joyeux Noel! Buon Natale!

           Best o' the season to you and yours!!

Traditional Christmas carols "Tochter Zion" and "Stille Nacht (Silent Night)" warm a Winter's day-or-night. Allison Crowe, Canada’s bi-coastal musical marvel, with Céline Sawchuk, vocalist/cellist from Germany’s Black Forest, bring us “Tidings” – European-style.

 

Aretha and the Music

Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul”, exits this passing show – and we have the music.

“It’s funny about music… music is like… music is one of the ways by which you can know everything which is going on in the world. You can feel… through music… Whew… you can feel the vibrations of everybody in the world at any given moment,” noted Nina Simone, the “High Priestess of Soul”.

Celebrating, communicating, commemorating, through music. Paying tribute, the way she does, here’s Allison Crowe with “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)”, the Ronnie Shannon-composed song that’s the breakout hit for Aretha in 1967.

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

Happy Independence Day :)

Allison Crowe, live, with a tune and message from the great American topical songwriter Phil Ochs” “When I’m Gone”.

Happy Independence Day, everyone, and a special shout-out to all our dear friends in the USA who are celebrating this July 4th weekend.

Here’s to joy and peace :)

Photos by the wonderful Billie Woods.

Now I’m 64 – Allison Crowe and Band W2U2

Where e’er you be – join in on this lovely Newfoundland parlour song. Allison Crowe and Band, from their freshly-released “Welcome to Us” recording, bring forth “Now I’m 64”. It’s a tune popularized by Atlantic Canada music legends Ryan’s Fancy, Harry Hibbs, Figgy Duff… and, now, us all:

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) 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, captured fresh at the LSPU (Longshoremen's Protective Union) Hall in St. John's, NL, Canada – it’s music that’s food for the soul and fun for all.

Fortune’s present audio-wise, and Allison’s SD (memory) card is filled with tracks to be mined and enjoyed. Sláinte!

"Welcome to Us 1", the concert’s first act, presents the brilliant bi-coastal band's more guitar-and-fiddle-centric tunes – live: http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/welcome-to-us-1

"Welcome to Us 2", the concert’s second act, features the group's more piano-centric tunes – and encore – live: http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/welcome-to-us-2

"Welcome to Us Banter Bits" includes any chat, laughter, applause not found on the "Welcome to Us" albums on iTunes et al. A free download to complement the concert music: http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/welcome-to-us-banter-bits

For our video wrapper here – hearty thanks to Alick Tsui Photography and Mind Palace Design.

Hallelujah – Allison Crowe and Band W2U2

Counting the human species alone there’s more than 7.6 billion Hallelujahs, really. When you start to consider all living creatures, the potential is infinite.

Here’s one take. Allison Crowe, live at the LSPU Hall in St John’s, Newfoundland with Leonard Cohen’s song. The rest of the band’s gone below to change into accordionist+ Keelan’s clothes… leaving Allison and the folks in the concert hall to carry harmonies in the chorus. It’s just one word:

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) 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, captured fresh at the LSPU (Longshoremen's Protective Union) Hall in St. John's, NL, Canada – it’s music that’s food for the soul and fun for all.

Fortune’s present audio-wise, and Allison’s SD (memory) card is filled with tracks to be mined and enjoyed. Sláinte!

"Welcome to Us 2", the concert’s second act, presents the brilliant bi-coastal band's more piano-centric tunes – and encore – live: http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/welcome-to-us-2http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/welcome-to-us-2

Arthur – Allison Crowe and Band W2U2

“Arthur” explores love and memory – and our fragile hold on each. From Act 2 of Allison Crowe and Band’s “Welcome to Us”:

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) 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, captured fresh at the LSPU (Longshoremen’s Protective Union) Hall in St. John’s, NL, Canada – it’s music that’s food for the soul and fun for all.

Fortune’s present audio-wise, and Allison’s SD (memory) card is filled with tracks to be mined and enjoyed. Sláinte!

“Welcome to Us 1”, the concert’s first act, presents the brilliant bi-coastal band’s more guitar-and-fiddle-centric tunes – live: http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/welcome-to-us-1

“Welcome to Us 2”, the concert’s second act, features the group’s more piano-centric tunes – and encore – live: http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/welcome-to-us-2

“Welcome to Us Banter Bits” includes any chat, laughter, applause not found on the “Welcome to Us” albums on iTunes et al. A free download to complement the concert music: http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/welcome-to-us-banter-bits

Hearty thanks to Alick Tsui Photography and Mind Palace Design for the visuals.

What About You – Allison Crowe and Band W2U2

Empathy.

"What About You".

Lisa's Song Completes Suite

Hope.

“Lisa’s Song” completes the song suite from Allison Crowe and Band – continuing Act 2 of “Welcome to Us”. 

Lisa's Song – Allison Crowe and Band W2U2 from Allison Crowe on Vimeo.

Visual accompaniment is from the cinema masterpiece “Ménilmontant”. (The full suite – I Might / Back to Black / Shifts of Light / Tones in Transition / I Am the Air / Lisa's Song – is @ https://vimeo.com/261671693 )

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) 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, captured fresh at the LSPU (Longshoremen's Protective Union) Hall in St. John's, NL, Canada – it’s music that’s food for the soul and fun for all.

Fortune’s present audio-wise, and Allison’s SD (memory) card is filled with tracks to be mined and enjoyed. Sláinte!

"Welcome to Us 1", the concert’s first act, presents the brilliant bi-coastal band's more guitar-and-fiddle-centric tunes – live: http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/welcome-to-us-1http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/welcome-to-us-1

"Welcome to Us 2", the concert’s second act, features the group's more piano-centric tunes – and encore – live: http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/welcome-to-us-2http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/welcome-to-us-2

"Welcome to Us Banter Bits" includes any chat, laughter, applause not found on the "Welcome to Us" albums on iTunes et al. A free download to complement the concert music: http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/welcome-to-us-banter-bitshttp://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/welcome-to-us-banter-bits

Rehearsal – Bird Set Free

Hey guys! So for me this is rehearsal season - plays and concerts and etc - so this is a little glimpse in to how I practice at home - this is one of my favourite songs by SIA called Bird Set Free! Thanks for listening ❤️
Allison Crowe Rehearsal - Bird Set Free from Allison Crowe on Vimeo.

Suite Moves: B2B + Shifts of Light

“We are in water, we are in shadow, we are in trouble right now.” The universal is manifest via the personal and particular, Allison Crowe and bandmates reveal through “Shifts of Light”:

Act 2 of “Welcome to Us” flows. Visual accompaniment is from the cinema masterpiece “Ménilmontant”. (The full suite – I Might / Back to Black / Shifts of Light / Tones in Transition / I Am the Air / Lisa's Song – is @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohKmHKTwpMI

Allison Crowe bridges movements in a suite of songs with this salute to Amy Winehouse:

Hours - Allison Crowe and Band - Welcome to Us

2018 will see the release of Allison Crowe’s “Fluttering”, an illuminating book of poetry/prose, and Allison and band will unite on one continent or another to advance the exciting sounds of “Rare Birds”, their next studio album.

First to hatch, though, is “Welcome to Us” – a sensational and fun album of music captured live at the LSPU (Longshoremen's Protective Union) Hall in St. John's, NL, Canada. Here’s a preview from Act 1 (the guitar-based songs – piano-centric songs comprise the second act). Enjoy!

Bird Set Free – Allison Crowe and Band Soar w.Sia Song!

First heard from the sensational live recording of Allison Crowe and Band – captured recently at LSPU Hall in St. John’s, Newfoundland – is “Verses”. Paul Mercs Concerts, the great Canadian event presenters since 1991, kindly shared "Verses", posting: “Bravo Allison & Co! Beautiful & whimsical as always, got us jigg'n!”

This next song recording from the same show delivers some choruses! After their wardrobe hijinks, the band returns to the stage and soar with their cover of Sia’s uniquely anthemic “Bird Set Free”.

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.

"Newfoundland Vinyl" - 2017 edition opens

I am so SO proud of everyone involved with Newfoundland Vinyl for all the hard work they've done in this past few weeks - I can not thank you enough for your hearts and souls - and here we are at opening night! Break legs and have a blast! #newfoundland #music

Opening tonight - "Newfoundland Vinyl" runs through September 1, 2017 at the Gros Morne Theatre Festival. For show info and tickets visit Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador @ http://www.theatrenewfoundland.com/shows/newfoundland-vinyl-2017 

"Great Island Wonder" Uncorked

There’s a lot of love expressed when Allison Crowe sings and plays. Love for another. Love for humanity. Love of place. Love of peace. Love of freedom. There’s heartbreak and loss, too. Exorcism. Transcendence. "Soulful. Alive. Joyous. Grievous. Real, true, music” – the artist’s raison d’etre.

“Great Island Wonder” is the official release of a concert bootleg that’s long circulated in torrent trading circles. Mélanie Bilodeau of Denman Island, on Canada’s Pacific shores, presented this concert to her home community and neighbours on Hornby Island, BC in 2005 – it’s captured resonantly by Audioarchivist John MacMillan: https://allisoncrowe.bandcamp.com/album/great-island-wonder

A sister, companion in ways, to “Live at Wood Hall” recordings of concerts earlier that Spring – this night’s undercurrents surface in song debuts of “I Don’t Know”, “You”, “Skeletons and Spirits” and reflect a different sort of intensity.

This date was soon followed by a cross-Canada tour, embarking birth-place Nanaimo, BC and reaching St. John’s and Corner Brook, Newfoundland, on Canada’s Atlantic coast, where Allison Crowe made her new home. Bi-coastal love established then is grown ever-deeper now. (Another shift – this may be the final concert capture of entirely vocal-piano repertoire. By her next tours of Canada and Europe Crowe was including guitar songs, as well, in her set. In more recent years she’s added fiddle and bodhran.)

Sharing the tape – John MacMillan describes this ‘Live on Denman Island’ doc in these ‘Personal notes’:

“To be honest, this was a fairly ‘dark’ show - there seemed to be demons rearing their ugly heads for this concert. The song selection is pretty, um, deep and somewhat, well, I dunno what to call it. Not to go into all the dreary details, but I was beginning the end of a relationship with a partner who was the catalyst of making this show happen, and I believe Alley was going though a breakup that kind of came to a peak at this show. Like I say, the song selection and audience banter seems to reflect this stuff that was going on behind the scenes. Despite the personal hardships, I think it is a brilliant performance, with some humour thrown in as well. Allison Crowe is a great songwriter, a fantastic musician, and an amazing vocal talent. I hope you enjoy this recording as much as I enjoyed the show.”

(MacMillan’s ‘Technical Notes’ to the recording are found on the “Great Island Wonder” album page.)

The album’s front cover, foto by Allison Crowe’s released earlier this year. Here now is the back-side: Straits of Georgia and Part of Vancouver Island (Map) – adapted from “Ocean to Ocean, Sandford Fleming's Expedition Through Canada in 1872” (pub. 1873).

Great Island Wonder

For the love of music, for the love of all life, this February 14, whether you celebrate Valentine’s or V-Day, or however, simply, you mark another day of existence – there’ll be a special soundtrack coming from Allison Crowe.

A rare batch of “Great Island Wonder”, (named, also, for the love of bootlegs), is 18 song performances straight from the heart – and banter galore – captured by audio archivist John MacMillan in concert on Canada’s Denman Island a dozen years ago. This show, hosted by Denman’s Mélanie Bilodeau, offers a repast – an edible, audible, document of the artist’s solo repertoire at one delectable moment in time.

Album art was originally anticipated to be wholly cartographic in nature – however, with such an Hipgnotic foto now facing us, the song+ info will be mapped out solely on GIW’s back cover to be released with the music on 14.02.2017.

Album cover foto: Allison Crowe

I Never Loved a Man - Day 16 on Musical Advent Calendar

Day 16 on the Musical Advent Calendar – is a live capture from a “Tidings” concert – Allison Crowe – singing and playing for people as only she can:

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

Hail "Mary"

On a "Tidings" concert tour, Canadian musician Allison Crowe began performing "Mary" - this song composed by Patty Griffin, the sublime singer-songwriter from Old Town, Maine, USA.

(Allison fell in love with the song when US cable television program "Sons of Anarchy" featured it in its Season two episode "Balm".)

The New Year kicking in, Crowe pulled her piano stool over to the kitchen table, sat down and recorded a version simple and true. We have this live recording, too - unadorned, as well, save for by honesty:


Mary (Patty Griffin) - Allison Crowe live from Allison Crowe on Vimeo.

Photos: Edward McCrea - Ladysmith Photography @ http://www.ladysmithphotography.com