Allison Crowe

Infobox musical artist
Name = Allison Crowe


Img_capt = Allison Crowe, Canada
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Allison Louise Crowe
Born = birth date and age|1981|11|16
flagicon|Canada Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Died =
Origin =
Instrument = Vocals, piano, guitar
Genre = Rock, pop, folk, jazz, alternative, piano pop/rock, Broadway showtunes
Occupation = Singer-songwriter, musician
Years_active = 1996–present
Label = Rubenesque Records Ltd.
Influences = Beethoven
Ani DiFranco
Tori Amos
Pearl Jam
Counting Crows
The Beatles
Led Zeppelin
Joni Mitchell
Leonard Cohen
Aretha Franklin
Janis Joplin
Chet Baker
URL = [http://www.allisoncrowe.com AllisonCrowe.com]

Allison Louise Crowe (born November 16, 1981) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist from Nanaimo, British Columbia who now also lives in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador (homes spanning the 7000 kilometre breadth of Canada). Crowe records on her own record label, Rubenesque Records Ltd. (formed in 2003).

History

Allison Crowe's first full-length albums, "Secrets" and "Tidings", were released in 2004, when Crowe was 22. ("Tidings" was originally released in EP form in 2003.) "Allison Crowe": "Live at Wood Hall", a double concert album, was released in July 2005. A DVD featuring live-in-the-studio performances of "Tidings" songs was created for her fan club in November 2005.

Crowe, of Scottish, Irish, and Manx descent, grew up surrounded by jazz, classical and rock music, and discovered additional influences on her own such as Ani DiFranco, Pearl Jam, Tori Amos and Counting Crows. She plays music of all these genres, making her difficult to categorize: in Amazon.com’s downloads, she has simultaneously been in the top three on the Rock Singer-Songwriters, Hymns, Blues, Jazz, Broadway and British & Celtic Folk charts. "Drawing from classical, jazz, pop and gospel sources, the young singer has created singular, inspiring music both in the studio and in the concert hall.” (Joseph Blake, "Victoria Times Colonist", March 24, 2005).

Crowe’s most mentioned characteristics are her remarkable live performance ability and her distinctive voice, the natural force of which has been compared to that of Mahalia Jackson. "With the soul of Janis Joplin and the tenderness of fellow Canuck Sarah McLachlan, Crowe rocks with her own unique brand of roots charm." (David McPherson, "Exclaim!", October 5, 2004). She accompanies herself on guitar and the piano, on which she has been classically trained. Her physical, percussive, piano style has been likened to that of R&B and rock and roll pioneers such as Fats Domino. She is largely a solo performer, though she has been part of bands as well, notably in a trio format as the Allison Crowe Band (2000 to 2003). Her passionate, visceral style has been referred to as “Elton John meets Édith Piaf” (Clodagh O’Connell, "Vancouver Courier", May 23, 2001).

Crowe mostly performs her own songs, which she has been quoted as saying vary among rock, jazz and folk, with lyrics and an intensity that has been compared to that of Laura Nyro, Eddie Vedder, Tori Amos and Patti Smith. "Ever wonder what it would have been like to listen to a gifted singer/songwriter from Saskatchewan in a small, intimate hall before she became Joni Mitchell? Don't fret the missed opportunity. There's no need to turn back the clock. Check out Allison Crowe," says Robert Reid in "The Record".

"Whether I'm Wrong", an original song of social conscience penned in early 2003, has been featured by the UNESCO-endorsed [http://www.newsongsforpeace.org/spotlight-200403.html New Songs for Peace] initiative. Crowe is also acclaimed for her interpretations of songs by a wide variety of composers, from Jerome Kern to Pearl Jam, including Lennon-McCartney and fellow Canadians Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. Her cover of Cohen’s "Hallelujah" was named "Record of the Week" by [http://www.recordoftheday.com/ Record of the Day] (UK) in August 2004 and again in November 2005.

Crowe has toured across Canada and in the northeastern United States as headliner. Two one-hour television specials have been broadcast across Canada, with her "Allison Crowe: Tidings" special telecast each December since 2003.

In late 2005 she performed for the first time in western Europe, with concerts in Dublin, London, Munich, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Paris.

In the Spring of 2006, Allison Crowe toured coast-to-coast in her homeland, covering most of the distance by VIA Rail Canada train on the "Rock'n'Rail Revue".

In October 2006, Allison Crowe released a new album, "This Little Bird", which she began recording in February 2006 in her new home of Corner Brook. The album was completed some 6000 kilometres west, on Vancouver Island, and Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.

Following the release of "This Little Bird", Allison Crowe visited England, Ireland, and Scotland on a concert tour. In 2007 Crowe's touring included a series of concerts across North America and a return to Europe where she performed to great acclaim at the "John Lennon Northern Lights Festival" in Durness, Scotland. The event was subsequently crowned the "UK's Best New Festival".

Piano, guitar and lead vocal tracks for two albums were recorded by Allison Crowe throughout 2007 and early 2008. One release, with the working title of "Aquarius Rising", is anticipated to include expanded instrumentation and orchestration. In May 2008 Crowe released an eclectic, acoustic, song collection called "Little Light".

Discography

After learning how the mainstream recording industry operates, in 2003, inspired by the examples of Ani DiFranco and Loreena McKennitt, Allison Crowe launched her own record label, Rubenesque Records Ltd. She has released the following albums independently.

Albums

*"Lisa’s Song + 6 Songs" (2003) (EP; earlier versions were "6 Songs" and "6 Songs +")
*"Tidings: 6 Songs for the Season" (2003) (EP)
*"Secrets" (2004) singer-songwriter solo debut
*"Tidings" (2004) (a greatly expanded version of "Tidings: 6 Songs for the Season")
*"Allison Crowe":"Live at Wood Hall" (2005) (double concert album)
*"This Little Bird" (2006) full-length album with band
*"Little Light" (2008) solo, acoustic, album

Compilations

*"Open Minds Open Windows: Songwriter's Stories" (2003) West coast Canadian musicians
*"It Was 40 Years Ago Today" (2004) indie, punk, alternative tribute to The Beatles
*"Christmas in Rock Vol. 4" (2005) German release of Christmas songs

Videos

*"Inside Pandora’s Box: Allison Crowe" (2002) (one-hour television broadcast in Canada)
*"Allison Crowe: Tidings" (2003) (one-hour television broadcast annually in Canada)
*"Tidings" (2005) (DVD fan-club-only release)

Cover Songs

Acclaimed not only as a songwriter and live performer, but, also, as a song interpreter, Allison Crowe regularly covers some of her favourite songs in concert and on her recordings. These interpretations, of which there are recordings, include:

* "A Case of You" - Joni Mitchell
* "A Murder of One" - Counting Crows
* "Angel" - Sarah McLachlan
* "Believe Me If All (Those Endearing Young Charms)" - traditional Irish Aire (words by Sir Thomas Moore)
* "Bill" - Jerome Kern, P.G. Wodehouse & Oscar Hammerstein II (from "Show Boat")
* "Darling Be Home Soon" - The Lovin' Spoonful
* "Hallelujah" - Leonard Cohen
* "I Dreamed a Dream" - Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg (from "Les Misérables")
* "Independence Day" - Ani DiFranco
* "Indifference" - Pearl Jam
* "I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)" - Ronnie Shannon (popularized by Aretha Franklin)
* "In Love in Vain" - Jerome Kern & Leo Robin
* "Imagine" - John Lennon
* "In My Life" - The Beatles
* "Let It Be" - The Beatles
* "Me and Bobby McGee" - Fred Foster & Kris Kristofferson (popularized by Janis Joplin)
* "Playboy Mommy" - Tori Amos
* "Raining in Baltimore" - Counting Crows
* "Release" - Pearl Jam
* "River" - Joni Mitchell
* "Running for Home" - Matthew Good, Dave Genn
* "Shine a Light" - The Rolling Stones
* "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana
* "32 Flavors" - Ani DiFranco
* "Time After Time" - Cyndi Lauper, Rob Hyman
* "Throw Your Arms Around Me" - Hunters and Collectors
* "When I'm Gone" - Phil Ochs
* "Who Will Save Your Soul" - Jewel

External links

European Tour Banner by boki.b
* [http://www.allisoncrowe.com/ Allison Crowe official site]
* [http://www.myspace.com/allisoncrowe Allison Crowe MySpace]
* [http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=allison+crowe&search=Search YouTube]
* [http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/allisoncrowe Allison Crowe Yahoo! Group]
* [http://www.last.fm/music/Allison+Crowe Allison Crowe @ Last.fm]
* [http://music.podshow.com/music/listeners/artistdetails.php?BandHash=07de6edb64644471fcba1b0c361f1268 Podsafe Music Network]
* [http://www.mp3.com.au/artist.asp?id=17818 mp3.com.au (Australia)]
* [http://www.painunspoken.allisoncrowe.com/ Pain Unspoken (fan site)]
* [http://www.allisoncrowe.co.uk/ Allison Crowe.co.uk (fan site)]
* [http://www.newsongsforpeace.org/spotlight-200403.html New Songs for Peace: Artist Spotlight]
*MusicBrainz artist|id=989a13f6-b58c-4559-b09e-76ae0adb94ed|name=Allison Crowe
* [http://www.pandora.com/music/artist/575baee8f45430a0 Allison Crowe Backstage @ Pandora]
* [http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/allison.crowe/ Allison Crowe] at Jamendo