Vocalist, pianist, guitarist, songwriter, engineer, producer and arranger – Allison Crowe is all the above. She lives & creates in Canada, but tours steadily, earning a reputation for exciting live shows that stir together her original songs with much-loved interpretations in an organic blend of rock, jazz, folk, Broadway, gospel and soul. “I love singing for people,” says Allison Crowe. “It’s a way to connect and share with others. Communication is crucial. Just being able to do what I do, to write and sing and perform, makes me feel not only alive, but incredibly lucky. Knowing at any moment everything could change, I don’t take one second for granted.”
“Little Light” is the (…) newest collection from Allison Crowe. It opens with a rustically shimmering version of “Northern Lights” – a song Allison performed ‘specially for the John Lennon Northern Lights Festival in Durness, Scotland.
“Angels” is recorded live at St. Andrew’s United Church, Christmas-time, in Allison’s birthplace, Nanaimo, Canada. She’s backed here by bassist Dave Baird and percussionist Laurent Boucher. “Disease”, a song of social commentary, has, through years of live performance, become epic – channeling Beethoven, grunge and more. Here ‘t’ is captured in its raging glory by Larry Anschell (on International Women’s Day 2008, the same night celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Anschell’s Turtle Recording Studios. Larry “Turtle” Anschell, Engineer and Producer, with Brad Graham Co-Engineer). Title track “Little Light” is among a set of guitar songs that reveal a different sort of Allison Crowe’s writerly reflections in music. “Happy People”, like such earlier songs as Ray Davies’ Kinky “Dedicated Follower of Fashion”, and Crowe’s own, “Skeletons and Spirits”, a bright melody coats more acid observations. Strong and gentle poetics of “Hold Back” warm us by a fire kindled in the ’70s by Joni Mitchell. “Choose to Be” bridges the piano sound of Allison’s “This Little Bird” songs with her new tunes. Bob Dylan’s ramblin’ shoes lead to a less restless farewell, as the album closes with “Wedding Song” – Crowe’s sweetest, rootsiest, love song to date.
From allisoncrowe.com
While you download her album, loose yourself if her rendition of “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen (that video has over 3 million views already!)
“Allison has a special gift that is so very rare in musicians today. She is true to her mind, heart and spirit” says Ross Hocker, long-time public broadcaster with NPR affiliate WGTE. Hocker, whose musical taste embraces Thelonious Monk, Bela Bartok and Charles Gounod, calls Allison Crowe’s live performance “the most honest, heartfelt, and directly intimate concert in my entire life.”
Related Links:
Allison Crowe’s Website
Buy this CD on CDBaby
Allison Crowe on MySpace
Allison Crowe on Facebook
Allison Crowe on Jamendo Page
Allison Crowe on YouTube
Allison Crowe on LastFM
