This summer Allison Crowe has released a new double-length album on top of her busy work with the Gros Morne Theatre Festival.
The always popular “Newfoundland Vinyl-The Greatest Hits” continues on stage in Cow Head until early September. Conceived by Jeff Pitcher and directed by Crowe the show is a medley of music and songs by well known musicians including Ryan’s Fancy, Harry Hibbs, Gary O’Driscoll, Ron Hynes and Joan Morrissey.
Now in its fifth year, the show has become a favourite during at Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador’s Gros Morne Theatre Festival.
This is the first year that Crowe will be performing on-stage in the show.
“This year we took a different route with (the show)," Crowe said. "It’s about half of the songs from the previous years and half of the songs are ones that we haven’t done before.”
Crowe is also in the musical cast of Stephanie Payne’s “Neddy Norris Night,” a festival favourite of traditional Newfoundland music.
Crowe will be performing a night of her own repertoire on Aug. 5 as part of the Who’s Darkening Our Door concert series. Her audience will be treated to a variety of music genres including Celtic, jazz, roots, folk, and some original music.
Crowe, who finished up a European tour in April, was born in Nanaimo, B.C. but has been living in Corner Brook since 2005.
“For music and theatre, there’s a concentrated amount of people who are amazing artists and musicians, and visual artists. It’s really neat,” she said of living on the province’s west coast.
Touted as an internationally acclaimed recording artist and live performer, Crowe recently released a double album. “Heirs + Grievances” is the 20th release on her label, Rubenesque Records Ltd.
“We recorded the album in late October/November (2015). We went into the studio and did a live off the floor recording … which is my favourite way of doing it because you get the right energy.”
The second album is a live concert recording from one of the band’s concerts in Vancouver, which took place about the same time as the in-studio recording.
The albums include several Newfoundland songs, a few covers and lots of original music, Crowe said.
Crowe’s next plans are a tour in her home province in the fall.
