Allison Crowe

Allison Crowe (born November 16, 1981) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and pianist from Nanaimo, British Columbia who records on her own record label, Rubenesque Records. Her first full-length albums, Secrets and Tidings, were released in 2004, when Crowe was 22. Allison Crowe: Live at Wood Hall, a double concert album, was released in July 2005.

Related Topics:
November 16 - 1981 - Canadian - Singer-songwriter - Pianist - Nanaimo, British Columbia - Record label - Albums - 2004 - 2005

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Crowe, of 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 free downloads, she has simultaneously been in the top three on the Rock Singer-Songwriters, Hymns, Blues, Jazz, Broadway and British & Celtic Folk charts.

Related Topics:
Irish - Manx - Jazz - Classical - Rock - Music - Ani DiFranco - Pearl Jam - Tori Amos - Counting Crows - Genres - Amazon.com - Blues - Broadway

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Crowe?s most mentioned characteristic is her distinctive voice, which, with its greater than three octave range, has been described as combining Janis Joplin?s power and Sarah McLachlan?s sweetness. She accompanies herself on the piano, on which she has been classically trained. She is largely a solo performer, though she has been part of bands as well, notably the Allison Crowe Band (2000 to 2003) which included Dave Baird on bass and Kevin Clevette on percussion. Her style has been referred to as ?Elton John meets Edith Piaf? (Clodagh O?Connell, The Vancouver Courier, May 23, 2001).

Related Topics:
Voice - Octave - Janis Joplin - Sarah McLachlan - Piano - Solo - Bands - 2000 - 2003 - Elton John - Edith Piaf - 2001

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Crowe mostly performs her own songs, which she has been quoted as saying vary among rock, jazz and folk, with lyrics that have been compared to those of Tori Amos. She also performs 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 Record of the Day (UK) in August 2004.

Related Topics:
Songs - Rock - Jazz - Folk - Lyrics - Tori Amos - Composers - Jerome Kern - Pearl Jam - Lennon-McCartney - Joni Mitchell - Leonard Cohen - Cover - Hallelujah - August - 2004

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Crowe has toured across Canada and in the northeastern United States. Two one-hour television specials have been broadcast across Canada.

Related Topics:
Canada - United States - Television

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As at August 2005, Crowe is reported to be working on both a studio album and a DVD. In late 2005 she will be on tour in eastern Canada (with one stop in Ohio, USA) and for the first time in western Europe.

Related Topics:
DVD - Ohio - Western Europe

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