Black Velvet Band
Description
A lively song popularly recorded on both sides of the Atlantic, including a version by the legendary 'His Nibs' Harry Hibbs -- born on Bell Island, and a favourite son of Newfoundland.This recording is from Allison Crowe's "Newfoundland Vinyl" LP, the 11th release on Rubenesque Records Ltd.http://music.allisoncrowe.com/track/black-velvet-band Veteran folk music afficionado/reviewer, Muruch, based in West Virginia, in posting a review of this new album to the "No Depression" blog remarks on a feature in Allison's music that's always present - whether it's rock, gospel, jazz, grunge, classical, blues, folk, soul or other genres she's making: "What a voice, what a voice, what a voice!"Of this song, Muruch notes: " 'The Black Velvet Band' " is a traditional Irish ballad about a man's chance encounter with a girl, which leads to his arrest and transport as a prisoner to Australia. The Dubliners may have recorded one of the more famous renditions of the song, but Allison's is the most stunning version I've heard and just may become the definitive version (as her cover of 'Hallelujah' - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIMOdVXAPJ0 - has) over time."http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/allison-crowe-newfoundland-vinyl-rubenesque-records-2013 + http://www.muruch.com/2013/07/allison-crowe-newfoundland-vinyl.htmlAs Musical Director for TNL's production of "Newfoundland Vinyl: The Flip Side" at the Gros Morne Theatre Festival, Canadian musician Allison Crowe, born in Nanaimo, BC, on the Pacific, is active now in her Atlantic setting, curating and arranging songs for this Summer's GMTF cast.It's a rich and varied collection harvested from the island region's popular music and oral traditions. The album's 10 tracks traverse parlour songs to country tunes and folk favourites, songs of land and sea that share the strength and the struggles, the joys, heart-breaks and the humour of people.As well as being a premiere songwriter, musician and performer of original material, Crowe's recognized as one of the great modern interpreters of song - via her internationally-acclaimed and much-loved versions of songs by Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, and plenty more greats - Allison Crowe's singular performances deliver familiar and much-loved songs afresh and with renewed joy.Crowe's just returned to her home in Corner Brook, NL, after attending the World Premiere in New York City of "Man of Steel", the Zack Snyder-directed Superman epic in which she has a cameo - as a musician performing "Ring of Fire", a song made famous by Johnny Cash. MoS is currently the #1 box office draw on planet Earth. (Had things not gone so wrong on Krypton, it'd surely be a smashing success there as well.) Next she rolls on to Cow Head, in Gros Morne National Park -- and says:"I am so grateful to have been asked by Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador, two years in a row, to put together songs and musically direct for a show called 'Newfoundland Vinyl'. As part of the Gros Morne Theatre Festival, I get to work with extremely talented and fun people each Summer in a gorgeous setting - Cow Head, NL. From the vast and encyclopaedic sea of beautiful music to come from, and out of, Newfoundland and Labrador, here is a collection of some of the songs from this year's show."http://www.theatrenewfoundland.com/gmtf.htmlThe GMTF season runs May 31 through September 14 - and "Newfoundland Vinyl: The Flip Side", written and directed by Jeff Pitcher, is on the boards July 12 - August 30, 2013!"Newfoundland Vinyl", the limited-edition, 180-gram-quality, vinyl LP is available on Crowe's home islands -- on Atlantic shores at Gary Bennett Music in Corner Brook, and via Craig Payne's daROCK Stories & Songs, and venerable Fred's Records in St. John's, NL. On Canada's Pacific coast, the LP is stocked at Fascinating Rhythm, in Nanaimo, Lyle's Place, in Victoria, and Salt Spring Sound, SSI, BC. The album can also be mail-ordered for delivery anywhere, and, digitally, it's available @ allisoncrowe.com, and on CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon and other fine sites that make music available online.