Allison Crowe is a singer whom I first stumbled across around late 2004, early 2005. It was a time when I was falling in love more and more with Keane and Coldplay, and other piano-based indie. Allison was, and remains, a perfect accent to their music - 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. Billy Joel started my love for music, Stereophonics turned it to the modern day, and are responsible for most of the bands I listen to today, and Allison Crowe developed my love for the female voice. Look down the previous posts here and you'll see just how much I write about female singers who have fantastic voices - Natasha Bedingfield, Emmy the Great, Goldfrapp, Joanna Newsom, Mandy Moore, St. Vincent and Sia of Zero 7. More recently I've written about Adele, who is essentially a weaker Allison Crowe with stronger record company execs behind her.
And this is what is fantastic about Allison Crowe. She isn't in the music for the money, she's in it for the music. Her website quotes her at the top of each page with 'Why music? Why breathing?' This here is a woman on a mission. With that in mind, listen to her version of 'O Holy Night' from Christmas album 'Tidings'. It isn't her best track by far (try her definitive version of Cohen's 'Hallelujah'), but still remains stunning vocally.
mp3: 'O Holy Night' by Allison Crowe
4 comments:
It's wonderful to hear you so enjoy the music of Allison Crowe. I serve as manager to Allison and, really, the power of music is what it's all about. Here's hoping Allison'll have tour dates in your neighbourhood in '08.
Best wishes of the season.
Happy New Year!!
(I've just duly noted you're in Nottingham - and will keep your location in mind as Allison reaches UK shores in '08.)
p.s. should you spot any suitable music performance spaces (be they small theatres, galleries, churches, community halls, etc.) with a grand or baby grand in situ - please send word! I'll soon be piecing together Allison's 2008 tour plans, and, we'd be happy to include Nottingham or nearby if there's a way!
cheers, Adrian
I'll follow up re your suggestion of the Bonington Theatre. Thanks very much.
What, if anything, do you know of the Djanogly Recital Hall in the Lakeside Arts Centre?:
http://www.lakesidearts.org.uk/AboutUs/Venues.html
Both of these piano venues look promising!
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