Join Allison Crowe and Bianca's for A
Musical Feast - Saturday, May 9
Allison Crowe brings her band to Bianca's (171 Water Street,
St. John's) on Saturday, May 9 for "A Musical Feast"
~ a fun and exciting blend of cuisine and music 'for all
senses'. The internationally-acclaimed vocalist and pianist
will be joined by Billie Woods (guitar), Dave Baird (bass) and
Laurent Boucher (percussion). Expect overtones of Leonard
Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Ani DiFranco, The Beatles, jazz and
Broadway. It's a joyous sound that one music critic describes
as 'Elton John meets Edith Piaf'. For this event, Head Chef
Peter LaPier and the rest of Bianca's culinary team are
planning a special dinner menu. For details and reservations
call Bianca's at (709) 726-9016.
This week the Chicago Tribune newspaper named the "5
best versions of Cohen's 'Hallelujah' " and
counter-culture blog MIX listed the top "non-shills"
in the music business. Allison Crowe is the only artist to
make it onto both lists. Being ranked alongside Leonard Cohen,
John Cale, Jeff Buckley and kd lang for her transcendent,
single/first-take, recording of "Hallelujah", and
lining up alongside Ani DiFranco, Janis Ian, Trent Reznor,
Radiohead and others for her integrity, is emblematic of
Crowe's unique success.
She launched her own record label, Rubenesque Records Ltd., in
2003 and approaches music very differently to the industry
standard of recent decades. The Canadian vocalist and
multi-instrumentalist shows you don't need to "play the game".
You simply need to make great music. And you need to mean it.
"In a world of copycats and wannabes in the singer-songwriter
field, Crowe is a true original and is playing in a league of
her own", writes Tom Mureika. In this latest concert review
penned for Westcoaster.ca, Mureika, a writer for
All Music Guide, describes Crowe as an "astonishingly
gifted artist" with "a dynamic stage presence - she is at once
commanding and enrapturing." He adds: "Crowe is easily the
most talented singer-songwriter to burst on the scene in quite
some time... There were even times when her compositions came
across like a modern day Carole King."
"Her unique stylings, incredible range of delivery,
songwriting chops and knack for interpreting cover tunes sets
her apart from her peers". The review notes that the
"sensational" Allison Crowe "resides out of Newfoundland,
though her music is universal and timeless".
AMG/Westcoaster.ca's Mureika is reporting on a sound
heard coast-to-coast and 'round the world live, on the
internet and mp3 players everywhere, on Rogers,
ATV, and CHUM television, the BBC,
CBC, CFBX radio and more. "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 (Canada). Veteran
WGTE/NPR (USA) host Ross Hocker calls a performance by
Crowe "the most honest, heartfelt, and directly intimate
concert in my entire life".
Crowe's friend, poet Benedict Hynes observes that her "Hallelujah"
video on YouTube has been viewed by 3.4 million
people - more than six times the population of her home
province. Jeffrey Pitcher, Artistic Director of Theatre
Newfoundland Labrador has worked with Crowe on TNL's
"Sexy and Dangerous" production in Corner Brook for
two years running. He says: "Allison is a force to be reckoned
with in Corner Brook and Newfoundland. The fact that she
chooses to live here is nothing short of astonishing and I
believe it's because her talent and drive transcends all
borders. She sings and her voice tells me I'm not in
Newfoundland - I'm in Allison's heart. No matter where she is
in this world, that voice, that conviction, it crosses all
borders. She's one of those rare artists that fits into any
culture, any community because she is who she is - an
incredible talent."
Allison Crowe is home this month for shows in St. John's and
Corner Brook before she embarks on her next international
concert tour - a string of dates that take her quartet to
Edinburgh, London, Aachen, Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Prague,
Vienna and other European cultural capitals this May and June.
This coming Saturday night, join Allison Crowe for "A
Musical Feast" at Bianca's where the motto "creativity
means not copying" fits, both, the kitchen and the concert.
Bianca's offers an all-inclusive three-course menu plus show
package ($90). For the special dinner/concert reservations
contact Bianca's @ 709-726-9016. (Please note that gift cards
purchased at Costco cannot be used for this special
promotion.) Concert-only tickets ($20) are available at Fred's
Records (198 Duckworth - 709-753-9191). Music starts at 9 pm.
