Happy Birthday to cellist+ Céline!

Happy Birthday, Céline! Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! Today we celebrate the birthday of Céline Sawchuk (née Greb), cellist and vocalist in Allison Crowe and Band – and the graphic designer of band posters, album art and more. Originally from the Black Forest of Germany, Céline now is home on Canada’s Salt Spring Island. 

As Allison and the group ready songs for their next album and concerts, here’s the sound of Céline’s strings and voice united with Alley and co. on “You All Haunt Me” from their “Heirs+Grievances” double-disc debut: http://music.allisoncrowe.com/track/you-all-haunt-me-3

"Introducing" Allison Crowe and Band

"Introducing”, the concert half of the debut album from Allison Crowe and Band is available for the first time digitally – on the music site of Rubenesque Records @ http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/introducing UK writer Mike Ferguson, (posting in “Some Diurnal Aural Awe”), anticipates audiences will be “royally entertained” by a show “full of the joy and fun that comes across on this cd's live offering”.

Together with the studio set, (“Heirs+Grievances”) that forms the physical CD collection, the music, (27 song tracks representing 20 unique song titles), delivers a thrilling hybrid of Canadiana, Celtic, jazz, roots, folk, soul and original rock that bridges vital originals with fresh interpretations of classics by Annie Lennox and Gary O'Driscoll.

"Heirs + Grievances is a gorgeous, full circle showcase of Allison’s growth as a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Her extraordinary voice is unrestrained and beautifully accompanied by her bandmates." ~ Muruch

“I don’t believe Crowe ever sings a song without an absolute personal commitment... This is an album that should and could develop a greater audience for Crowe beyond those who already adore her.” ~ Some Diurnal Aural Awe

“In the past, Crowe has devoted herself to trad folk, contemporary rock, Christmas songs and music of Leonard Cohen, all of which have merged into these two discs to create a portrait of an idealist — with the addition of her between-songs talk on the live recording revealing a bubbly personality.” ~ Tom Harrison, The Province 

Northern Lights of Labrador

NL’s Don Fulford wrote “Northern Lights of Labrador” for his sister, Trina – of the renowned duo Corey & Trina (Crewe) and they had a tremendous hit with this song - naturally popular across Newfoundland and Labrador on Canada's Atlantic coast.

Love for beauty and home shines through Allison Crowe and her newest album of music, "Newfoundland Vinyl II": http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/newfoundland-vinyl-ii

As the album title suggests, it's a song collection inspired by, and arising from, Crowe's involvement with the hit stage show, "Newfoundland Vinyl" - presented at Canada's Gros Morne Theatre Festival, and produced by Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador.

The album celebrates this creative bond between Crowe, an internationally-loved touring and recording artist, and Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador, a professional theatre company founded on Newfoundland's west coast in 1979.

For these past three Summers TNL's engaged Crowe as Musical Director of "Newfoundland Vinyl" - a perennial favourite at the annual Gros Morne Theatre Festival.

TNL Artistic Director Jeff Pitcher's conception of a revival of vinyl era, and more, songs of Newfoundland and Labrador put wind in the sails of Allison Crowe's curatorial mission.

"It's here!" says pioneering music blog Muruch, "Allison Crowe just released Newfoundland Vinyl II and it's the perfect follow-up to her traditional folk masterpiece, Newfoundland Vinyl".

Of her immersions as Musical Director with TNL, and the melodic bounty that's landed, Allison Crowe notes: "There is so much wonderful music - you could piece together multiple anthologies and still only scratch the surface of such an extensive and rich collection. Each of these songs is its own story, of land and sea, of people, and each story in-and-of-itself could be an entire show. I'm truly grateful that you are here to hear the story these songs have to offer." She gives special thanks to "the incredibly talented and versatile" casts and crews of TNL's productions for their inspiration.

Northern Lights photo - by Allison Crowe + thanks to Johnny Cann

Easy Livin', Lovin'

A song for a Winter's night... and any time! One of the most vital popular music artists of this, or any, generation, Allison Crowe is also among the most versatile. With her release of “Newfoundland Vinyl” earlier this year, Allison delivers unvarnished roots and country to the mix.

 

Canadian country great Eddie Eastman recorded Terry Skinner’s song, “Easy” first in 1979. Here’s Allison’s new take: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U_GDkkfCa4

 

 

Gery Deugaw, Owner/Archivist of the treasure-trove that is “GEST Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador” @ http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld - notes: “After all the years of travelling the Trans-Canada, Eddie Eastman was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Honour in 2010. Allison Crowe performs this song with the easy sound it needs to be successfully reprised in the 21st century.”

        

Allison Crowe - New, Vinyl, Album This Summer

Allison Crowe has completed recording her newest album - to debut June 25, 2013. This new release, the 11th from Crowe's Rubenesque Records, is the first to be available as a vinyl LP.

Crowe reveals her inspiration - working with Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador, which celebrates the 18th Annual Gros Morne Theatre Festival when its season runs this year from May - September.

"I am so grateful to have been asked two years in a row to put together songs and musically direct for a show called 'Newfoundland Vinyl'. I get to work with extremely talented and fun people each Summer in a gorgeous setting - Cow Head, NL," says Allison from her home in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. "From the vast and encyclopaedic sea of beautiful music to come from, and out of, Newfoundland and Labrador, here is a collection of some of the songs from this year's show."

Music and comedy come together in this theatre production, written and directed by TNL's Artistic Director Jeff Pitcher. TNL announces: "On the heels of last year's runaway hit we present the all new 'Newfoundland Vinyl - The Flip Side!' ...the cast returns with more hits than a bagful of hammers!"

Nail more on this show and other GMTF events online now @ http://www.theatrenewfoundland.com/play_Vinyl.html (and related pages). Full details on Allison Crowe's new album coming in May.

Northern Lights over Gros Morne - photo by Allison Crowe

Wedding Song

One of the rootsier songs in Allison Crowe's richly varied repertoire is the closer to her "Little Light" album/CD. "Wedding Song" - the title says it.



A slide show of Allison images, by the ab fab photog/musician Billie Woods, shot in an apartment in Vienna, Austria, the pair share while on tour, is on YouTube: