biography  press  pictures
Some words about Allison Crowe and her music:

 

"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..." ~ Robert Reid, The Record (Canada)

"Allison Crowe has a voice to fall in love with. She is from Vancouver Island in Canada, descended from Scottish, Irish and Manx stock. She's exactly the sort of artist who can make serious headway on her own label and that's just what she's doing." ~ Record of the Day (UK)

"Allison has put Canada well and truly on the map here!" ~ Mike Merritt, Artistic Director, John Lennon Northern Lights Festival (UK)

"Crowe’s originals are vivid, both musically and lyrically, and she also does memorable covers. Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You” has a stark beauty while her version of “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)” would give Aretha Franklin goose-bumps." ~ Robert Moyes, Boulevard (Canada)

"Rich and dark, her voice seems to come from a place most singers can only dream of accessing. Then there are the songs. Filled with raw passion and accompanied by eloquent piano playing" ~ The Vancouver Courier (Canada)

"Canada’s most charismatic arrival in recent years " ~ Billy Kelly, Producer, Big Big World Festival, Glasgow (Scotland)

"Allison Crowe is a stunningly talented performer. Her voice celebrates the music with a bluesy rock-gospel intensity; her controlled vibrato, silken rasp, and powerful projection rivet your attention. This is no casual background music... be prepared to be amazed." ~ Carol Swanson, Music Reviewer & Professor of Law at Hamline University (USA)

"It takes a lot of self-confidence to tackle Aretha (Franklin)'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." ~ Bob Muller, JoniMitchell.com (USA)

"...bold, piano-based music supported by a frankly beautiful voice. Over the past
three years she's proven herself again and again, and fantastically offers a huge amount of free downloads from her website. What's more, Allison would probably fall into that category of artists who have changed the way I think about music... Allison Crowe developed my love for the female voice." ~ This Fine Social Scene (UK)

"I saw Allison at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio... It was the most honest, heartfelt, and directly intimate concert in my entire life. I have been to hundreds of concerts of all sorts of music, but nothing like Allison Crowe! She is fantastico! and so very sweet and marvelous to behold... Allison has a special gift that is so very rare in musicians today. She is true to her mind, heart and spirit. She also has a most wonderful humor which envelops her audience. Thank you for being on this earth, dear Allison Crowe." ~ Ross Hocker, WGTE/NPR (USA)

 "Crowe has the soaring, swooping vibrato of a dark angel" ~  Monday Magazine (Canada)

"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." ~ The Times Colonist (Canada)  

"Beautifully moody, or riotously rocking, Allison Crowe creates piano-based music of transcendent quality" ~ jeweljk.com - Jewel's featured artist (USA)  

"Get a piece of paper and write Tori Amos in the top left hand corner. Then write Patti Smith top right, followed by Stevie Nicks and Leonard Cohen (stay with me) in the bottom two positions. Then draw diagonal lines from their names to the centre, forming a big symmetrical cross. Here is where you will find Allison Crowe's music. The Canadian singer/ songwriter's trademark piano ballads contain heavy chords and spacious grooves, which underpin her powerful yet delicate vocals to great effect. There is an almost Celtic timbre to Crowe's voice, which is crammed full of enough emotion to make anyone weep, but is carefully used to also make them smile." ~ The Scene (Australia)

"Her repertoire is an uniquely original blend of rock, jazz, folk, gospel and soul. It's a joyous sound that one music critic describes as 'Elton John meets Edith Piaf'." ~ Campbell River Mirror (Canada)

"In a nation that prides itself on hockey to the point of obsession, there is something else in which we can take justifiable national pride, our young, female singer-songwriters. And for my money Allison Crowe is the best of the bunch, certainly the most versatile." ~ Bruce Mason, Gabriola Sounder (Canada)

"Allison sings with such an intensity of emotion, it's easy to see why she's often quoted as saying 'Why music? Why breathing?'." ~ Muruch (USA)

"Canadian singer/songwriter Allison Crowe combines the esoteric beauty of Tori Amos with the pop accessibility of Norah Jones to create beautiful folk/pop tracks." ~ Albums Galore (USA)

"And recorded that voice is no less expressive than it is live.  Ranging from pure and angelic to sultry and confessional, Crowe excels at all levels.  The cover of the Joni Mitchell classic, A Case of You, demonstrates this perfectly." ~ Trevor Raggatt, Wears The Trousers (UK)

"It's not hard to see why Crowe's Hallelujah -- recorded in a single take -- is popular. It's one of Leonard Cohen's most affecting songs, and the 26-year-old, accompanying herself on piano, makes it her own with raw honesty and formidable vocal power. It's simultaneously heart-breaking and redemptive, and it has captured the imaginations of people around the world." ~ Adrian Chamberlain, Times Colonist (Canada)

"One thing is certain, in the future, when Allison truly gets the recognition she deserves she will be placed in the Canadian mind alongside names like Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Sarah McLachlan and Leonard Cohen." ~ Justin Beach, PublicBroadcasting.ca (Canada)

"Crowe's singing is tremendously powerful; almost operatic. When she digs into a sustained note, as she so often does, the voice is huge, rounded, with a dark timbre. If listening to the garden-variety pop princess is like drinking insipid white wine... then Crowe is akin to sipping the richest of brandies." ~ The Times Colonist (Canada)

"J'ai rarement été bouleversée à ce point par une voix féminine. Pure comme de la glace, puissante et même violente... qu'il est impossible de ne pas mettre son coeur en jeu en l'écoutant... faîtes place à une virtuose nom de Zeus!" ~ SplinterMuse (France)

"I have never been so moved by a woman's voice. Pure as ice, powerful and even violent... it's impossible not to put your heart at stake when listening to her... behold this new virtuoso. By Zeus!" ~ SplinterMuse (France) English translation

"Janis Joplin's 'ballsy' power and Sarah McLachlan's lilting sweetness" ~ The National Post (Canada)

"Crowe has worked tirelessly over the last two years since launching her own record label with four albums, 40,000 km on the road, a pile of glowing press, and a content-packed web site..." ~ Alexandria Stuart, Nanaimo Daily News (Canada)

"The music is the woman. She communicates about love, death and life through her songs. Her voice is unmistakable, and in the same song she can be powerfully raw, yet hit a high note so delicately it slips through her lips and kisses your ear"
~ The Ladysmith Chronicle (Canada)

"Allison Crowe is one of the most amazing vocal talents anywhere today. 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."
~ Peter Karroll, TKO Management/HRMR Records (Bif Naked's label/management)

"soulful, poignant, and always intense" ~ Delusions of Adequacy (USA)

"(Crowe has) profound skill both as a writer and as an interpreter of other people's songs... this is no Pro Tool'd and AutoTuned plastic pop opus but a real musician creating a real performance." ~ Wears the Trousers (United Kingdom)

"Thrilling. Displays the kind of courage and willingness to take artistic risks that suggests her future is rosy indeed" ~ The Times Colonist (Canada)

"A dark, powerful voice that seems to come out of nowhere, then thrusts into the stratosphere, falling somewhere between Alanis and Janis" ~ The Globe and Mail (Canada)

"I find Allison's music and style captivating. She reminds me of early Elton John for some reason. I'd love to hear her with a large, full orchestra occasionally although I also appreciate the simplicity of having just her and the piano... I never tire of her music." ~ Jim Kloss, Whole Wheat Radio, Alaska (USA)

"She can belt with the best of them, but she also knows when to hold back" ~ Luna Kafe (Sweden)

"Described as 'the next big thing to come from Vancouver Island,' singer-pianist Allison Crowe is definitely a phenomenon in the making. Crowe is a certified poet whose rich, powerful voice shows the influences of everyone from Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan to Janis Joplin and even Nina Simone. Born and raised in Nanaimo, Crowe is a classically trained pianist who has gradually created her own special blend of jazz, folk, rock and blues." ~ Victoria Jazzfest International guide (Canada)

"A confident, powerful voice, infused with passion. With the soul of Janis Joplin and the tenderness of fellow Canuck Sarah McLachlan, Crowe rocks with her own unique brand of roots charm." ~ exclaim! (Canada)

"The overall focus of Allison Crowe’s music is her voice and lyrics - and what a voice it is! Crowe has a strong and chillingly beautiful but decidedly feminine set of pipes, and it seems she can sing just about anything." ~ Jennifer Patton, Delusions of Adequacy (USA)

"She is a force to be reckoned with. Leaning more towards the jazzier side of roots music. A professional since she was fifteen, Allison is a road-hardened musician and her lyrics and music belie her years." ~ Maverick (UK)

"Many comparisons will be made concerning Nanaimo's Allison Crowe. Some will say her voice has a dreamy quality reminiscent of Sarah McLachlan or Beth Orton. When she really wails you might be tempted to think about Janis Joplin. Make your own comparisons, then forget them." ~ Nanaimo Daily News (Canada)

"In an entertainment world that increasingly genuflects at the altar of instant fame, Crowe seems an anomaly, building her career slowly and carefully." ~ The Times Colonist (Canada)

"a voice as big as all outdoors" ~ Harbour City Star (Canada)

"Allison Crowe is an unusual singer. If I had to pick a single word to describe her music, it would be 'passionate', but it is more than that. A lot more. She covers many other artists, and I like Allison's version of every one of them better than the original. She is passionate and intelligent, and has a voice that is, at times, as big as any voice you can imagine, and at other times as rich and sweet as a violin." ~ anacronyms (Canada)



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