Friday, November 16 ~ Allison Crowe's Tidings: "Music for the season and all time"

Allison Crowe is just returned to Canada from Europe where she was a sensation at the John Lennon Northern Lights Festival in Durness, Scotland. At the three-day event, recently crowned the UK's "Best New Festival", her audience included members of John Lennon's family alongside the Queen's Master of Music, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. The Scotsman reports: "Canadian angel Allison Crowe gave one of the weekend's most magical moments". Earning a standing ovation, "Her rendition of Lennon's 'In My Life' (almost literally) brought the house down."

Festival Director Mike Merritt describes Allison Crowe's performance as "awesome" and "spine-tingling", adding: "Allison has put Canada well and truly on the map here!"

The 26-year-old musician is home now to launch a series of "Tidings" concerts to wrap 2007 in warm style. Tidings stirs together traditional Christmas carols and holiday favourites with Crowe's organic blend of rock, jazz, folk, gospel and soul. "The Yuletide find of the year," says The Record. "Be prepared to be amazed," says Christmasreviews.com.
"Allison Crowe is a stunningly talented performer."

It's a wonderful time for the musician, much-loved and acclaimed for her exciting voice and piano. With the mainstream recording industry in flux, a window has opened that allows talent to shine and reach an audience. On YouTube, over one million people have viewed Allison Crowe's simple, honest, videos. Her video rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" has been viewed now more than 600,000 times, and a major Hollywood movie production has requested use of Crowe's "Tidings" album version of "Hallelujah" which is freshly defining the song for a new generation of listeners.

On Last.fm - one of the world's largest social music networks - Allison Crowe has built an audience of tens-of-thousands of listeners, and her "Tidings" CD is third among all albums tagged "Christmas". The other top holiday albums tagged by Last.fm's international audience are those by Bright Eyes, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and the Vince Guaraldi Trio. It's coming on Christmas, indeed. Back on YouTube, Crowe's video interpretation of Joni Mitchell's "River" is tops among her seasonal set. With over 90,000 views, Crowe's version skates some 25,000 clicks higher than the next cover of the song - by fellow-Canuck Sarah McLachlan.

Learning from the paths of Joni Mitchell, Ani DiFranco and Loreena McKennitt, Allison Crowe puts her own stamp of freedom on artistic and commercial success. She's grateful, too, for the opportunity to help support a range of worthy causes. This year's Tidings concerts aid: the Food Bank, SPCA, Artemis Place (life skills and academics for girls), GABA (Group Applied Behavior Analysis - helping autistic children), the Mind's Eye youth newspaper, as well as high school band and sports programs.

"Treat yourself to one of the mightiest talents on the singer-songwriter scene today," says Bob Muller, curator of song covers at JoniMitchell.com.

Here's where you can enjoy Allison Crowe's "Tidings" this holiday season:

20/11 ~ Corner Brook, NL - Arts & Culture Centre
23/11 ~ Campbell River, BC - St. Peter's Anglican Church
24/11 ~ Pender Island, BC - Pender Islands Community Hall
30/11 ~ Gibsons, BC - Heritage Playhouse Theatre
01/12 ~ Salt Spring Island, BC - ArtSpring Theatre
07/12 ~ Santa Land, Nanaimo North (Pole) - Community Sing-along
08/12 ~ Victoria, BC - Wood Hall, Victoria Conservatory of Music
09/12 ~ Gabriola Island, BC - Community Sing-along
14/12 ~ Gabriola Island, BC - Gabriola Community Hall
15/12 ~ Nanaimo, BC - St. Andrew's United Church
27/12 ~ Whistler, BC - Village Main Stage
31/12 ~ Whistler, BC - Franz Wilhelmsen Hall, MY Place


Full word on each concert will be announced shortly. Visit the Tour page for details.

And, of course, online, you can enjoy Allison's music everywhere.

Wishing you and yours good health and tidings this season, and always. Sláinte mhaith!