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 

Peace

“Whether I’m Wrong”, the first song performance video from Allison Crowe to be posted online – more than a decade ago – is now hosted here in a higher-fi version:

In Spring/Summer 2003, Allison Crowe was residing in an apartment in New York City’s Chelsea neighbourhood. Whether or not the sun poured in like butterscotch it was a sticky time. This song was born then. Today, naturally, it’s just as vital our voices be heard.

Captured live-in-the-studio by visionary director Alex Postowoi and crew at Turtle Recording, White Rock, Canada. Audio engineer - Larry "Turtle" Anschell; Film Editor - Shirley Anne Claydon; Cameras - Karen Duthie & Randy Rotheisler.

The UNESCO-endorsed “New Songs for Peace” project has featured the song since its creation in 2003 @ http://www.newsongsforpeace.org/spotlight-200403.html  and http://www.newsongsforpeace.org/songs-crowe1.html

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.

Illuminating Music: Just What the Doctor Ordered

A true tonic for the heart, body and soul. “Cohencentric: Leonard Cohen Considered” prescribes Lesson 1 in Dr. David Goza’s recently launched educational video series, “How to Listen to Music”. Musicologist Goza, Visiting Associate Professor of Music at University of Oklahoma, distills, in the lecture hall and online, “A Descriptive Analysis of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah,’ Sung by Allison Crowe”.

https://cohencentric.com/2018/02/21/think-music-david-goza-featuring-allison-crowes-cover-hallelujah-leonard-cohen

Professor Goza notes @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZddiM1KjMU:
“I'm starting a new educational series to give my students some ways to think about music, and I'll probably post them here from time to time. This one involves a heartbreakingly beautiful performance of Leonard Cohen's ‘Hallelujah’ by Allison Crowe (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIMOdVXAPJ0 )."

Dr. Goza, who teaches World Music at OU’s state-of-the-art facility, in his posting expresses "nothing but admiration for Ms. Crowe's extraordinary artistry.”

In turn, Allison’s honoured and grateful that her performance of Leonard Cohen’s song is part of, and launches, this wonderful new series.

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”:

Lettin' Loose the "Black Velvet Band"

Sweet serenade for the donning of something green and celebration of St. Patrick’s Day this weekend: 

Allison Crowe lets loose the “Black Velvet Band” from her first “Newfoundland Vinyl” album: http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/newfoundland-vinyl

"Tonight Will Be Fine"

“In celebration of Valentine's Day, Cohencentric offers Allison Crowe's romantic cover of Leonard Cohen's Tonight Will Be Fine”:

"When I'm Gone"

Many good hearts these days are looking to help one another in this life. Phil Ochs wrote a song for our times – and Allison Crowe helps deliver the message, “When I’m Gone”: 

Santa Baby - Day 12 on Musical Advent Calendar

On Day 12 of her Musical Advent Calendar, all together for CBC’s Feed NL Day show, Allison Crowe met this jolly man in a red suit – and, so, the calendar opens on “Santa Baby”:

Allison Crowe and special guests bring "Tidings" to the ACC Corner Brook in Concert - Saturday, December 10 at 8pm: https://www.facebook.com/events/578139959061288

>Each day through Christmas celebrate a new song on Allison’s Musical Advent Calendar @

http://allisoncrowe.com/MusicalAdventCalendar2016.html

The Elusive Resurrection

Times of great trouble in this world. Times, also, of great inspiration. And of great hope.

Hear “The Elusive Resurrection”, from Newfoundland poet Al Pittman’s first collection (Brunswick Press, 1966*):

“Oh for the strength
the indomitable courage
to cast away
this shroud
and leap to life
to run and sing
to free these lips
that now do nothing
but argue
and would kiss
to reach
into the sun and stars
and grasp
what little of heaven
has been given us
to devour”

Another NL great, singer-songwriter Ron Hynes, turned a poem from Pittman’s final collection, “Thirty-for-Sixty”, (published by Breakwater Books in 1999*), into a song. Musician Allison Crowe, home in Corner Brook, NL, where Al Pittman grew up, delivers here the essence of those words:

* Both poems appears in Breakwater’s 2015 release “Al Pittman: Collected Poetry”.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day – celebrating the birth of the civil rights leader and marking the struggle for equality, justice and peace that continues today – here’s Allison Crowe with her guitar take on Patty Griffin’s “Up to the Mountain”:

Paying tribute with piano – Martin Luther King Jr. Day musical celebration by Allison Crowe w. Patty Griffin’s paen “Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)”:

The Christmas Song

“The Christmas Song” brings us together ’round the musical hearth. Yule know this tune penned by Mel Torme and Robert Wells. It’s paired here with the Fleischer Studios 1936 Color Classics animated short “Christmas Comes But Once a Year”.

The Christmas Song from Allison Crowe on Vimeo.

This a cappella performance is on Allison Crowe’s just-released “Souling (Bonus Tracks Edition)” – an album which expands upon a cherished release of last Christmas. To “Souling” Crowe’s added one more traditional carol plus characteristically distinct colourings of secular songs popularized by Elvis, Eartha Kitt, Louis & Ella, Nat King Cole and Stevie Wonder among others: http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/souling-bonus-tracks-edition

Soul Cake

An earlier form of carolling – and trick or treating, to boot - is the tradition of “souling” or “soul-caking”.


Soul Cake from Allison Crowe on Vimeo.

As singers make the rounds, door-to-door, chanting ancient rhymes a welcome reward is a soul cake – for which there are a range of recipes.

Here’s one from Shropshire, a county in the West Midlands of England, that’s collected by Dorothy Gladys Spicer for publication in her 1960 book “Feast-Day Cakes from Many Lands”.

“INGREDIENTS

6 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 egg white, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

DIRECTIONS

Cream shortening and sugar. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water to which a teaspoon of sugar has been added. Set aside. Scald milk and add to the creamed mixture. When cooled add yeast mixture and stir until thoroughly blended. Sift together flour, salt, and spices, and add gradually to other ingredients, kneading into a soft dough. Set sponge to rise in warm place in greased covered bowl. When doubled in bulk, shape into small round or oval buns. Brush tops with slightly beaten egg white. Bake in moderately hot oven (400° F.) for 15 minutes. Drop temperature to 350 ° F. and bake until delicately browned and thoroughly done.”

To join in the musical feasting, here’s Allison Crowe, with the first song track served up by her a cappella album "Souling": http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/souling-bonus-tracks-edition

Santa Baby

Allison Crowe hurries down the chimney for a special a cappella delivery of “Santa Baby” – penned by Joan Javits, Philip Springer, & Tony Springer.

This track is on Allison's just-released “Souling (Bonus Tracks Edition)” – an all-a cappella collection which expands upon a cherished album of last Christmas. To the original “Souling” collection, Crowe’s added one more traditional carol plus her take on secular songs popularized by Elvis, Eartha Kitt, Louis & Ella, Nat King Cole and Stevie Wonder. Happy holidays!

http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/souling-bonus-tracks-edition

Blue Christmas

Composed by Jay W. Johnson & Billy Hayes, “Blue Christmas” was first recorded in 1948 by Texan Doye O’Dell - “All America’s Cowboy”. Several popular renditions followed – and, in 1957, another singer/actor, this time from Tupelo, Mississippi, stamped the song indelibly as an holiday classic.

Rocking and rolling into this season of joy and reflection is Canada’s Allison Crowe whose 2015 recording here gifts us one of the freshest takes on the song since Elvis Presley - “The King”.

Blue Christmas from Allison Crowe on Vimeo.

This a cappella track is on Crowe’s just-released “Souling (Bonus Tracks Edition)” – an album which expands upon a cherished release of last Christmas. To “Souling” Crowe’s added one more traditional carol plus characteristically distinct colourings of secular songs popularized by Elvis, Eartha Kitt, Louis & Ella, Nat King Cole and Stevie Wonder among others:
http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/souling-bonus-tracks-edition

Allison Crowe's Diamond Jubilation at GMTF

Her eyes they shine like a diamond and her voice, piano and guitar-playing be just as crystalline pure in beauty. Musician Allison Crowe is a colleen welcoming all to delight, (not to beware), when she takes the stage this Monday, July 13 as part of this Summer’s “Who’s Darkening Our Door” concert series at the Gros Morne Theatre Festival.

 

Allison’s back home in Newfoundland following a triumphal concert series on Canada’s Pacific coast. Her performances – online and onstage - bring joy to millions of people. From her Corner Brook nest on this lovely isle she’s toured with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, appears in the newest Hollywood Superman movie blockbuster, and, each Summer, she returns to GMTF as Musical Director of “Newfoundland Vinyl” - the hit show conceived by Jeff Pitcher, Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador’s Artistic Director.

 

Join Allison for a rousing concert of favourites from Joan Morrissey, Ryan’s Fancy, Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers, alongside modern classics by troubadours Gary O’Driscoll and Ron Hynes, her own internationally-acclaimed original songs and covers of the Beatles, Leonard Cohen and more.

 

Allison Crowe taps a vein of song that’s deep and wide as it is rich. Here’s one of the near 200 recordings she’s made – her take on the traditional “Black Velvet Band”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2C9qFAEHWI It’s a lively song popularly recorded on both sides of the Atlantic, including a version by the legendary 'His Nibs' Harry Hibbs - born on Bell Island.

This recording is from Allison's "Newfoundland Vinyl" LP, the 11th release (of 17 albums now) on Rubenesque Records Ltd. - http://music.allisoncrowe.com/track/black-velvet-band

West Virginia-based folk+ music afficionado, Muruch, comments on an ever-present facet - whether it's rock, jazz, classical, Celtic, blues, folk or other genres Allison’s soul-mining: "What a voice, what a voice, what a voice!"

Hear Allison Crowe in full glory – 8:30 pm, Monday, July 13 - The Ethie Room, Shallow Bay Motel and Cabins, 193 Main Street, Cow Head, NL. For concert tickets please visit http://www.theatrenewfoundland.com/shows/whos-darkening-our-door-tonight-2015 or phone GMTF/TNL toll-free 1-877-243-2899.

Sweet Dreams

Music is, of course, steeped in lore.

Allan Showalter, entertaining and illuminating chronicler of life, love, lust and all @ “Cohencentric: Leonard Cohen Considered” has noted that the “Suzanne” of song, who “feeds you tea and oranges that come all the way from China” – is the muse Suzanne Verdal, pouring into 1960s life along Montreal’s St. Lawrence, filling Cohen’s cups with Bigelow’s “Constant Comment” blend.

This Sunday, Berkeley Place blog serves up a fresh pot of its “Greatest of All Tunes” feature – starting with Allison Crowe’s elemental reading of “Sweet Dreams” – originally a new wave smash for Eurythmics (the duo of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart) in 1983.

Crowe’s acoustic performance was distilled during creative discussions with Hollywood movie producer Zack Snyder (amidst the production of his 2011 film “Sucker Punch”).

Bigelow’s own “Sweet Dreams” is a blend of chamomile and mint it promises “will calm your nerves and sooth your soul.”

Inviting you now to enjoy Allison’s take, along with sonic servings from AlbertOne, Thought Coalition and Tujamo, Berkeley Place says:

“Brew am I to disagree.” 

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.

Dearly

This time of February, for lots of folks, opens a door through which love, its many forms and facets, is a focus. With Valentine’s Day and V-Day happenings songs have a cherished part, too – reflective, celebratory, and all else.

In days of doo-wop, people addressed love’s pizmotality in musical letters. Fast forward to this week - and delivery of a bundle of songs bearing Allison Crowe’s singular stamp.

First posting is “Dearly”, from Allison’s “Spiral” album. On this, Allison (composer, voice, guitar, engineer) is joined by Billie Woods (guitar), Dave Baird (bass), Laurent Boucher (percussion), Larry Anschell (engineer) and Kayla Schmah (orchestrator, string arranger, producer). The foto of Allison was captured by Billie back-stage at Berlin’s beautiful Osterkirche.