Best wishes this Father's Day weekend - to all of us! Fathers, Mothers,
children, kin, of all types ( :

We're now at a break in what's been a rather breathless run that began in
February/March of this year - pretty much when Allison decided to form a band.
And, things have turned out wonderfully, so, time to pause with all the forward
motion, and ready for all that is to come - concerts, albums/recording++

Below is the latest word - if you've not seen it. Now, I am home, and Summer
begins, I'll be catching up with a mountain of mail, and hope we'll be chatting
( :

***

Allison Crowe Band: Triumphant in Europe, Unique in Canada

Allison Crowe and her traveling band – Billie Woods (guitar), Dave Baird (bass)
and Laurent Boucher (percussion) – are back in Canada following a triumphant
tour of continental Europe.

Playing to full-houses and multiple encores in Aachen, Munich, Frankfurt,
Berlin, Prague and Vienna was especially gratifying for the troupe – after a
start in the UK that could have derailed less able and determined musicians.

Instead, an encounter with new anti-terrorist/illegal immigration rules has
helped fuel the vibrant reform movement in the UK. With public and media support
from stern to bow on the island of Great Britain, the news was featured by BBC
Radio, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian/Observer, The Scotsman, The Northern
Times, The Press & Journal, and many more outlets. The Times of London warned:
"Immigration rules threaten to destroy Britain's arts reputation".

Cultural events described as canceled or in jeopardy as a result of the new laws
include: concerts by supreme Russian pianist Grigory Sokolov; African jazz band
Les Amazones de Guinée; the English National Opera's production of Così Fan
Tutte to be directed by Abbas Kiarostami, the great Iranian film-maker; and
events involving a range of participants from Argentinian tango-dancers, to
neuroscientists, university lecturers, Chinese artists and touring church
choirs.

On June 3, the UK civil liberties group, Manifesto Club, hosted the first
"Cabaret Without Borders" in London, England. Allison Crowe spoke to attendees
of this packed event via telephone hook-up, minutes before her band's
performance in Frankfurt. The 'Visiting Artists and Academics Petition' ~ found
@ http://www.petitiononline.com/MCvisit/petition.html ~ was launched earlier
this year by the Manifesto Club with the endorsement of dozens of the UK's most
prominent artists and educators, including: sculptor Antony Gormley; director of
the National Portrait Gallery, Sandy Nairne; and the artistic director of the
Royal National Theatre, Nicholas Hytner.

Home in Canada, the bicoastal musician and her transnational band, next devote
the Summer to writing, playing and recording before Fall '09 Canadian tour
dates, Winter 2009 "Tidings" concerts, and, a return to Europe in Spring 2010.

Crowe's success has been built quite differently to a pattern followed for
decades by Canadian rock musicians. Rather than rely on grants or corporate
support, (or multinational record labels that may themselves receive
grants/subsidies), the exciting singer-songwriter who lives on, both, the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts, has connected directly with her audience, building
a passionate international fan base for her music via internet videos and songs
and peerless live performances.

Allison's Crowe's next CD/album will be her seventh release since the 2003
launch of her label, Rubenesque Records Ltd. It will be the first to showcase
her quartet.