Allison Crowe with Band: Revolution on its Way

Allison Crowe, the amazing Nanaimo, Vancouver Island-born musician, home in Newfoundland for a decade now, is here in British Columbia this month to resume the launch of a new band and creative phase.

In the record-melting heat of this Summer, Crowe (vocals, piano, guitar, bodhran, fiddle) and bandmates Billie Woods (guitar, vox), Celine Greb (cello, vox) and Dave Baird (bass) performed their first shows. The group’s hybrid of Canadiana, Celtic, jazz, roots, folk, soul and original rock is next on-stage: October 23 in Sidney’s Charlie White Theatre; October 30 at Nanaimo’s Port Theatre; and November 13 at Vancouver’s St. James Hall. (NB “Tidings”, Allison Crowe’s Christmastime concert series, resumes next year in BC.)

Rehearsal today! Woot!               Allison Crowe foto

Between concert dates the band is in sessions at Turtle studios in White Rock, BC with engineer/producer Larry Anschell (Pearl Jam, Bif Naked, Sarah McLachlan). Several of Allison Crowe’s 15 album releases, including the classics “Tidings” and “Live at Wood Hall”, have been captured by Anschell and his audio team.

Capping more than a decade of primarily solo touring and recording, Crowe has three releases coming this season.

"Muruch.com Presents: Allison Crowe”, out this week via Bandcamp, is a 21-song anthology and playlist curated by one of the first, and now longest-running, legal-mp3 music websites. The West Virginia-based culture blog gathers its personal favourites from her recorded repertoire explaining: “Canadian singer-songwriter Allison Crowe has long been Muruch’s musical mascot, so it seemed fitting to celebrate her music along with Muruch.com’s 15th anniversary.”

 October 20, 2015 brings the release of “Newfoundland Vinyl 3” (on Bandcamp, iTunes et al), newest in the acclaimed series of albums refreshing folk, traditional, and popular music of Canada’s Atlantic coast. Waltzes, parlour songs, rousing tunes of land and sea emerge from Crowe’s role as Musical Director with Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador’s hit show, “Newfoundland Vinyl”, at the annual Gros Morne Theatre Festival.

Allison Crowe’s bond with the TNL family, and the region’s wonderful musicians and actors, provides inspiration as well for “Souling (Bonus Tracks Edition)” out this October 27 (worldwide through all major digital outlets). Expanding upon 2014’s singular all-acappella collection of sacred and traditional Christmas carols she performs – acappella and with choral-focus – select songs of heart and hearth from the popular songbook.

Concert, recording, and other Allison Crowe news is found on the artist’s original website @ http://allisoncrowe.com soon to merge with a band site currently @ http://www.allisoncrowe.com/wordpress

Summer, swims, and friends

Summer, swims, and friends.

Song of the Summer: "Circular Reasoning" + "Prix de beauté"

Song of the Summer - dive in!

In advance of the upcoming full Allison Crowe video show – here’s “sneak peek” fun in the form of her song “Circular Reasoning” with visuals from a 1930s French silent film that also became a talkie.

"Prix de beauté” (“Beauty Prize” aka “Miss Europe”) is directed by Augusto Genina, written by René Clair & Georg W. Pabst and stars a radiant Louise Brooks.

Enjoy :)

Allison Crowe has a 16-song-video-series that launches September 2, 2014. Pairing a spectrum of recordings from the Canadian musician with visuals from great artists and innovators of the 20th and 21st centuries - film-makers, animators, painters, photographers and more… - it’s a multi-media expression of Crowe’s mission to make "Soulful. Alive. Joyous. Grievous. Real, true, music." ( http://allisoncrowe.com/bio.html )

And, this collection confirms the diagnosis of Dr. H Guy aka Allan Showalter, the world’s inimitable blogger “On Life, Love, Lust, & Leonard Cohen” – who notes: “Once you’ve heard one Allison Crowe song, You’ve heard one Allison Crowe song." ( http://1heckofaguy.com/2009/01/27/wedding-song-allison-crowes-small-masterwork )

Much more on this all, naturally, to come – once we’ve celebrated Summer in this part of the world. Right now, it’s time for bathing suits, ice-cream, fresh berries, bicycle bells… any and all other of life’s simple joys and pleasures.

Sláinte!

Wedding Song: V Day Playlist #5 of 7

Allan Showalter, erudite and entertaining MC at '1 Heck of a Guy', a Leonard Cohen-centric blog of rare scope, in comparing Allison Crowe's cover of "Me and Bobby McGee" with this original, "Wedding Song" -



- says such act "leads to an unavoidable conclusion: Once you’ve heard one Allison Crowe song, You’ve heard one Allison Crowe song." The good doctor adds: "Turns out all the hype about about Allison’s vast tonal, thematic, and emotional range is true."

In My Life: V Day Playlist #4 of 7

Here's a tune first delivered to the world by The Beatles and George Martin on the "Rubber Soul" LP. From the timeless songwriting team of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, it's a "John song". Allison Crowe sailed to sea and performed for Lennon family and friends come together with Scottish villagers and music-lovers from all across Europe, in Durness, Scottish Highlands. The Scotsman newspaper calls Allison a "Canadian angel" and her "In My Life" cover "one of the weekend's most magical moments". Here's a video version -



and a different performance from Allison on her "Tidings" album.

The Recital

Welcome the New Year on Allison Crowe's "7 Thumbs Up" blog with The Recital :)

Free! Music! Contest 2011 Winners and Music

Free! Music! Contest 2011, run by Musikpiraten e.V., and for which Jamendo was among sponsors, announces its winners and releases a cornucopia of tracks displaying the rich creativity of the remixer community. Allison Crowe, one of the world’s musical ambassadors of Creative Commons licensing, is Musical Patron of this year’s “FreeMixter” event. A 19 track sampler can be downloaded free at Bandcamp. And, at remix portal ccmixter.org enjoy remixes of tracks from Allison, Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park), DJ Vadim, the Beastie Boys and many more.

"Cuerpo de Mujer" + "What About You + Imagenes Exclusivas

From Rita Mercedes Chio in Argentina comes this new creation - uniting words of Chile's Pablo Neruda, "imáges muy especiales", and musica of Allison Crowe. The poem is "Cuerpo de Mujer" (Body of a Woman), published in Neruda's 1924 collection, "Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair". The music is "What About You" - the version from Allison's "Live at Wood Hall" set.

Arthur / Up to the Mountain – Allison Crowe Releases Double-A-Side Today

Today, the amazing Allison Crowe releases a double-A-side single – two new song recordings available world-wide for enjoyment in audio and video formats:

“Arthur” - Playing her vintage upright-grand piano, at home in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada, Allison Crowe sings of love weighed through life and time.



“Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)” - Already a lover of American singer-songwriter Patty Griffin, Allison Crowe’s introduction to this Griffin tune came from Canadian rock and soul musician Bob Benvenuti when the two Canucks performed at a Christmas "Tidings" concert together. Crowe brings it on home with guitar and vocals - performing as her own Jordanaires for back-up.



Rubenesque Records Ltd., Canada’s most independently successful music label, celebrates its tenth anniversary with this characteristically passionate performance pairing.



Here, above, is “Arthur” - as it’s heard on the new release.



NB The single version of "Up to the Mountain" is on guitar. We're fortunate to also have this video of a piano performance - Allison live-in-the-studio - "Out of the Fog" in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.

Warmest thanks to the team behind this popular news and arts magazine - Michael Fisher, Television Producer, Bruce Lane, camera - and all the OotF crew at Rogers television.

Music Everywhere

Exciting times - even in the rain! We aim to have Allison Crowe's double-A-side single available digitally before the end of this month. More news on this two song recording - "Arthur" / "Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)" coming in the next few days. Here's a look at the single cover art - photo by Allison!


Next month, August 23, marks the tenth anniversary of Allison's label, Rubenesque Records Ltd. Along with virtual cake and balloons, we'll make it a special celebration together :)

A Case of You - Oh Canada Day...

Steppin' lightly (just like, just like a ballerina) into this July 1 - Canada Day weekend. Here's a most Canadian song, born of a relationship between two artists - Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. "Love is touching souls. Well surely you touched mine..." Here's Allison Crowe's recording of "A Case of You" (from her "This Little Bird" album/CD) - live as can be...

There Is

"There Is" - the version on Allison Crowe's "This Little Bird" album/CD. Allison's voice and piano is complemented by Dave Baird's bass, Laurent Boucher's percussion, and, her father, Del Crowe's guitar! "There is a way, out of this, there is... " :)

Alive and Breathing

Ramble-tamble sounds of "Alive and Breathing" - Allison Crowe (voice, piano) accompanied by Laurent Boucher (percussion) and Dave Baird (bass and a rare performance on guitar). Another song emerging from the fertile writing period after Allison explored and ultimately rejected the mainstream record industry. (That period's, so far, lasted 8+ years! There's another fertile period of years - before that courtship.)

Skeletons and Spirits

In the days of 45 rpm singles, this song, "Skeletons and Spirits", could form a "double A-side" with "Effortless".



A favourite Allison Crowe tune for many, including other performers, it's also been the music to a fun range of videos - including this recent animation by Norwich, UK-based Christina Worby.