Rock videos:
(*Enjoy also Tidings videos along with Web 2.0 Vids #1 + Web 2.0 Vids #2 + Web 2.0 Vids #3; Audio releases on CD are in Studio A; unreleased tracks are in Studio B; Sheet Music: + ALL songs are in the ABC List)
"Allison Crowe is a rare artist. Not only is she earning acclaim as an original singer- songwriter but he's also gaining renown for her distinctive, soulful, and moving interpretations of others' songs. She delights in lending her voice and piano to the creations of some of our greatest songwriters.
"Songs of Leonard Cohen, including Hallelujah, will soon be inducted into the newly-formed Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Joni Mitchell, another Canuck, known for her integrity, will be saluted next month with a special tribute concert at Carnegie Hall (a benefit for the non-profit Music for Youth Foundation). John Lennon and Paul McCartney, (The Beatles' primary writers) who first attracted serious attention from musicologist William Mann early in the '60s, are, today, recognized as the finest songwriting team of the past 50 years. And, for an up-and-coming generation of songsmiths, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder offers an intense creative release." ~ Creative Arts Times.
Each of these artists is represented here in these Cinema pages - in covers performed live (in concert and in the studio) by Allison Crowe. As well, some of Allison's live tv and concert performances of original songs are found here - along with a rare "music video" or two...
Producer/director Alex Postowoi (lensman for videos by Joan Armatrading, Jann Arden, Bif Naked+) labels Allison's most recent performance videos "the antithesis of everything that's out there". Entirely natural, the songs presented here are recorded in a first, single, take. Live!
(NB Movie files are, mostly, presented here in 512+ kbps and 128 kbps WMV format. Choose whichever is best for you depending on your connection speed. Should you need it, you can download, for free, Windows Media Player)
Hold Back
From: Adrian22
From Allison Crowe's newest album, "Little Light",
comes this song - "Hold Back".
"I would chew my arm off to sing like Allison," says
West Virginia, Mountain Stage-loving music blogger Muruch.
"Though I guess that would make it difficult to shred a piano
like she does, which seems to be half the fun" - referencing,
respectively, "Hold Back"
and "the fervent, mesmeric, piano-hammering extended version of
'Disease'
" ~
both songs on Crowe's newest CD.
"She is reminiscent of some of the great women vocalists who
shaped rock music in the late '60s and early '70s. Allison's
emotional delivery is unique in today's music," is how music
industry veteran, and manager to Bif Naked, Peter Karroll's
earlier framed it.
Images accompanying this vid are almost all shot by Canadian
photographer and musician Billie Woods.
The image of Allison onstage in New York City (at the piano on
darkened stage) is by Ben Strothmann.
Pics of Allison as a child are courtesy the Crowe family photo
album.
"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. There's no need
to turn back the clock. Check out Allison Crowe." ~ Robert
Reid, The Record (Canada)
Northern Lights ~ w. images by David Cartier
The images
come from Yukon-based
David Cartier, Sr. - who shares his beautiful images of the Aurora
Borealis on this flickr
page
Here's what David says about this source of inspiration:
" When Men lack a sense of awe, There will be disaster "
- - - - Lao Tzu --- The Tao Teh Ching
Awe is what THIS is all about!!
The Aurora is an experience of breathtaking beauty... the viewing
makes you feel like you are connected integrally with an amazing
cosmic force ..... Aurora watching is as addictive as any drug and
a whole lot more satisfying. Once you become addicted, you stay
out all night, lose sleep, forget about social commitments, nearly
get wind burned and frostbit and it's all, deeply, worth it !!
Every human being who can manage it should make a pilgrimage to
the subarctic auroral zone in order to see and feel this at least
once in their life.
Many of these were taken with an amazing old Russian Kiev-19 35mm
SLR. This camera , which I still use for night sky photos, NEVER
freezes up or has any shutter problems in the cold, even at minus
60!! The more expensive Japanese and German cameras which I own
always, or at least often, stop functioning in the deep cold.
Imagine (John Lennon)
In
January 2004, in concert, Allison led the assembled musicians in a
group-closer ~ John Lennon's "Imagine". In April 2004, she
headined a concert to cap Earth Week activities in Victoria, the
capital city of British Columbia, Canada. The "Goolden
Gala" (in a gorgeous, old, converted 800-seat church) was to
"Celebrate Peace, Earth and Justice". Also to that end,
Allison made this recording. Peace signs are from TopPun.com
- the groovy site of Dan Ruff.
In September 2007, Allison Crowe will join musicians, poets,
painters, dramatists and all who come together to celebrate the
"John Lennon Northern Lights Festival" in Durness,
Scotland.
Freda people now!
Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper)
click on the image above to enjoy video
Allison Crowe, a child of the '80s, performs one of her favourites
of that era in concert - a cover of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After
Time".
This recording (thanks Scott LJ for the audio!) comes from the same
pre-Christmas '06 concert as does the version of "I Never
Loved a Man". With this song, there is no concert footage
available, and, so, inspired by the example of Cylune, one of the
great artistic Web 2.0 vidders, I've made my own, very simple
(primitive?!), vid to accompany the music. Thanks muchly to Steve
for capturing the images of Allison images of Allison's hometown
glory - in Canada's Winter time!
I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) - (Ronnie
Shannon)
click on the above image to enjoy video
This funkily lo-fi recording is from a concert just before Christmas
2006 (more hometown glory - Winter). Allison Crowe performs "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I
Love You)" - a song written in the '60s by Ronnie Shannon,
and which was a break-through hit for Aretha Franklin.
Bob Muller, the Grand Poobah of Covers at JoniMitchell.com says:
"it takes a lot of self-confidence to tackle Aretha's version
of "I Never Loved a Man..." but Allison does and
nails it just as good as the Queen of Soul herself. Her piano
playing is equally exquisite. Treat yourself to one of the mightiest
talents on the singer-songwriter scene today."
Cheers to Del and Scott for capturing this happening. Warmest thanks
to web creator extraordinaire Cylune for enabling this video to be
enjoyed as it is ( :
Angels (Allison Crowe)
click on the image above to enjoy video
From the same concert at which she performed "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" and "Time After Time", here is an original song, not yet recorded on an album - "Angels"
The video footage is, again, of a Canadian Winter.
(Thanks Scott LJ for the audio, and Steve C for the camera-work!)
Interview on Vicki Gabereau show (Allison Crowe)
Chat with Gabereau (512) ~ Chat with Gabereau (128)
A word-of-mouth sensation in western Canada since her teens, the independent-minded Allison Crowe made her first national television appearance on the Vicki Gabereau show in January, 2002. (TV talk-show host Gabereau - dubbed "The Queen of Chat" - is the Canadian counterpart to such American hosts as Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey.) Here Allison talks a bit about her hometown of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada - which has produced such jazz musicians as Diana Krall, and sisters Ingrid and Christine Jensen. And, she identifies some early inspirations - The Little Mermaid, Pearl Jam, Janis Joplin and Joan Osborne.
This interview segment is intro to a performance of Allison's song "Crayon and Ink".
Crayon and Ink - live on TV (Allison Crowe)
Crayon and Ink (512) ~ Crayon and Ink (128)
This is the first national television performance by Canuck singer-songwriter Allison Crowe. Broadcast across Canada on January 28, 2002, this live segment introduced a country to the singer-songwriter from Nanaimo, B.C. Show host is Vicki Gabereau ~ Canada's "Queen of Chat". Allison Crowe is accompanied on her song "Crayon and Ink" by bassist Dave Baird and drummer Kevin Clevette. The song appears on Crowe's debut EP, "Six Songs".
Lisa's Song (live)
A
few months after the disappearance of Lisa Marie Young from Nanaimo,
Canada, Allison Crowe and band recorded this song for Lisa - live
"Inside Pandora's Box". Pandora's Box is a television
studio in Victoria, B.C. - home to the New VI now A-Channel
television.
Lisa is still missing. You can learn more @ Lisa's
Page
Scared (Allison Crowe)
This video accompanies the song "Scared" ~ recorded live-off-the-floor in 2001 by Allison Crowe and her trio for Crowe's debut disc, "6 Songs". It's filmed in the downtown streets and dock area of Nanaimo, British Columbia - chasing pavements in Canada's "Harbour City". When it premiered as part of an Urban Industrial show presented by Crimson Coast Dance Society, Allison said: "This song is about not being afraid to stand up for yourself and what you believe in, to speak out even in the most adverse of circumstances. It was a wonderful gift from Angela Kendall and Brian Dutkewich (of transmission 2 video)." Allison Crowe plays piano and sings, Dave Baird plays bass, and Kevin Clevette is on the drums.
Release (Pearl Jam)
In July 2001, Allison Crowe trekked to Seattle, Washington to be part of a gathering of Pearl Jam fans (AKA Jammers) from over 30 U.S. states, Canada and other PJ-friendly locales. Like a scene from Cameron Crowe's movie, "Almost Famous", an entire floor was rented in a funky downtown hotel, and, with doors open, and a communal room for watching PJ videos, the Jammers experienced music and friendship in the Emerald City. Allison performed a welcoming concert ~ in a small, very warm, theater in back of Second Avenue Pizza ~ and Pam Abramowicz captured the intensity in all its lo-fi beauty.
Indifference (Pearl Jam)
Indifference (512) ~ Indifference (128)
Another live performance from the Worldwide Jammer Convergence that took place in Seattle, Washington, USA in the Summer of 2001. Allison Crowe and her trio perform Pearl Jam's "Indifference". Greatly inspired by Eddie Vedder and PJ, Crowe was delighted by the invitation to Seattle for a concert before Jammers from all over the continent+. The audio/video is lo-fi, still it captures a hot night that's magic in the memories of Jammers. Thanks to Pam Abramowicz for capturing this and other events at the Convergence on vid.
Jeremy - Coda to Philosophy
Jeremy - coda (512) ~ Jeremy - coda (128)
When she led a trio, with Dave Baird on bass, and Kevin Clevette on drums, Allison would, when the spirit moved her, include some of PJ's Jeremy as a coda to her own song, Philosophy. Due to the thin-ness of the sound on this video-cam recording, Allison's thunderous roar is not so audible, but the vibe is there ( :
So, crank up the bass and the volume, And keep on rockin' in the free world.
Deep thanks to Sandi Heinrich, organizer of the "Worldwide Jammer Convergence", and to all the Jammers who came together for this magic weekend.
Release Lyrics as Performed by Allison Crowe
Skeletons and Spirits (Allison Crowe)
Skeletons & Spirits (512) ~ Skeletons & Spirits (128)
From "This Little Bird", Allison's next album, comes this jaunty take on relationships ( :
Recorded live, in June 2006, in Canada's most easterly province, Newfoundland, for the über-popular Rogers tv program, Out of the Fog. Hosts Krysta Rudofsky and Paddy Daly ~ marking his first week not on hockey programming ~ along with Producer Mike Fisher and his team are ace!
Independence Day (Ani DiFranco) - Allison Crowe live
From: Adrian22
Added: May 11, 2008
Allison Crowe, on her first national headling tour across her home country of Canada. Video footage shot when only a few knew they were witnessing a member of the international aristocracy of great talent.
These years on, Allison Crowe has continued to follow the independent path of Righteous Babe Ani DiFranco. DiFranco and her manager Scot Fisher have been guiding lights to Crowe and her team at Rubenesque Records Ltd.
"If you are disgustingly sincere and terribly diligent, there are ways for any serious artist to operate outside the corporate structure." ~ Ani DiFranco
Here be Allison performing Ani's "Independence Day" live at Roca Jack's coffeehouse, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
This song has been captured, in higher fidelity, on the album "Live at Wood Hall". (Other Ani songs in Allison's repertoire include "32 Flavors" and "Both Hands".)
As with the vids of Allison covering Pearl Jam in Seattle, 2001 - may the honesty of this performance transcend the technical limitations of recording devices.
Happy Mother's Day!
Studio A (released tracks) ~ Studio B (rarities, boots+)
Rock videos ~ Tidings videos
Web 2.0 Vids #1 ~ Web 2.0 Vids #2 ~ Web 2.0 Vids #3
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