Our world’s deepening love affair with Allison Crowe takes a Gallic turn tonight as the Canadian singer-songwriter embraces the Fazioli piano and her audience inside Paris’ L’Archipel theatre. From ‘La Ville-lumière’, Crowe tours to Prague, Frankfurt, and Vienna - celebrating the release of her sixth album, “Little Light”.

“Quelle voix magnifique,tout l'album est merveilleux, c'est un enchantement,” says a reviewer on Jamendo, the pioneering Creative Commons music platform. Adds another, “Quelle douceur une voix venu d'un autre monde...”

“I would chew my arm off to sing like Allison,” says West Virginia, Mountain Stage-loving music blogger Muruch. “Though I guess that would make it difficult to shred a piano like she does, which seems to be half the fun” - referencing, respectively, “Hold Back” ~ http://www.allisoncrowe.com/07HoldBackAllisonCrowe128.mp3 and “the fervent, mesmeric, piano-hammering extended version of ‘Disease’ ” ~ http://www.allisoncrowe.com/03DiseaseAllisonCrowe128.mp3 both songs on Crowe’s newest CD.

“She is reminiscent of some of the great women vocalists who shaped rock music in the late '60s and early '70s. Allison's emotional delivery is unique in today's music," is how music industry veteran, and manager to Bif Naked, Peter Karroll’s earlier framed it.

A majestic voice and talent such as graced the stages of rock’s golden era, with advancing recorded and live performances Allison Crowe’s singularity is increasingly manifest. As a singer, songwriter, interpreter and entertainer she combines elements of artistry in ways distinct in generations of popular music.

"Ever wonder what it would have been like to listen to a gifted singer/songwriter from Saskatchewan in a small, intimate hall before she became Joni Mitchell? Don't fret. There's no need to turn back the clock. Check out Allison Crowe," advises The Record’s Robert Reid.

“I believe that Allison Crowe is the only living person - with the possible exception of Glen Hansard - that can pour their whole being into any cover and make it sound like an entirely new song,” notes Muruch.

Alongside her art, Allison Crowe’s direction in dealing with the business of music is to, also, take the path less travelled. She cites Righteous Babe Ani DiFranco and Quinlan Road’s Loreena McKennitt as inspirations in the 2003 launch of her own record label, Rubenesque Records Ltd. Considering Crowe’s verdant grassroots success, journalist Jennifer Carswell asks in a current Paris Voice feature: “Is she out to change the face of independent contemporary music, infusing it with new meaning… ?”

Her mission is purely musical. Still, anything remains possible for a creator, recently described by Ross Hocker, longtime public broadcaster with WGTE/NPR, as “not in the least corrupted.”

Word on Allison Crowe’s upcoming European and North American concert dates is forthcoming.

Here, now, be description of the new album, “Little Light”:

Created from Newfoundland to British Columbia, the newest singer-songwriter collection from Allison Crowe opens with a rustically shimmering version of "Northern Lights" - a song Allison performed 'specially for the John Lennon Northern Lights Festival in Durness, Scotland. "Angels" is recorded live by Scott Littlejohn at St. Andrew's United Church, Christmas-time, in Allison's birthplace, Nanaimo, Canada. She's backed here by bassist Dave Baird and percussionist Laurent Boucher. "Disease", a song of social commentary, has, through years of live performance, become epic -  channeling Beethoven, grunge and more. Here 't'is captured in its raging glory by Larry Anschell (on International Women's Day 2008, the same night celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Anschell's Turtle Recording Studios. Larry "Turtle" Anschell, Engineer and Producer, with Brad Graham Co-Engineer). Title track "Little Light" is among a set of guitar songs that reveal a different sort of Allison Crowe's writerly reflections in music. "Happy People", like such earlier songs as Crowe's own, "Skeletons and Spirits", seduces with a bright melody coating more acid observations. Strong and gentle poetics of "Hold Back" warm us by a fire kindled in the '70s by Joni Mitchell. "Choose to Be" bridges the piano sound of Allison's "This Little Bird" songs with her new tunes. Bob Dylan's ramblin' shoes lead to a less restless farewell, as the album closes with "Wedding Song" - Crowe's sweetest, rootsiest, love song to date.

The interpretations on this collection are: "Time After Time" - originally a hit for that most unusual girl, Cyndi Lauper - Allison, a child of the '80s gives her impassioned take, live (Bastion City Mobile’s Scott LittleJohn recording this, the same night as "Angels"); "Running for Home", is a cover of the Matthew Good Band, and one of the songs Allison has performed since her teens; and, by way of the Righteous Babe, Ani DiFranco, comes Allison's vocal-guitar nod to the great peace-loving bard, Phil Ochs - "When I'm Gone". "Can't be singing louder than the guns when I'm gone, so I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here."

As the music industry’s evolution finds form in this digital age, wherever the playing field is level, Canadian musician Allison Crowe continues to excel and build audiences.

On Last.fm, the world’s largest world's largest social music platform, (over 15 million active users based in more than 200 countries), Crowe wrapped up the recent holiday season with her “Tidings” CD tagged the #2 Christmas album. Bright Eyes’ “A Christmas Album” was #1. Rounding out the top five were “The Sinatra Christmas Album” by Frank Sinatra (#3), Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s “Christmas Eve and Other Stories” (#4), and The Vince Guaraldi Trio’s timeless “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (#5). Two other well-known Canadian acts, both Nettwerk recording artists, made it into the top 25 at Last.fm over the holiday season: Barenaked Ladies’ “Barenaked for the Holidays” was 8^th, and Sarah McLachlan’s “Wintersong” was 22^nd among top Christmas albums on the site.

In the video realm, as well as audio, Allison Crowe’s music is reaching fans in numbers remarkable for any artist - and spectacular for an independent with a promotional budget of zero dollars. On YouTube, the world’s largest video platform, Crowe’s performance of Leonard Cohen’s magnificent “Hallelujah” has been viewed more 900,000 times. This places her interpretation in the select company of Cohen himself, and mega-marketed versions by Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright. Hallelujah videos by other major label-funded acts attract smaller audiences - Imogen Heap and Sheryl Crow each drawing 200,000+ views, and kd lang’s most-watched performance topping 150,000 views. Brandi Carlile’s multiple performance vids have a cumulative viewership of 25,000.

Anacronyms blog notes: “This song has somehow become Crowe's signature, if a singer who defies description as stubbornly as she does has a signature... Cohen's original version is a spoken poem, all of the meaning contained in the words. Crowe's version is a living thing, a meditation and a celebration and a benediction."

Allison Crowe’s videos have a collective reach of more than 1.5 million views on YouTube, and her original songs are gaining in worldwide popularity. European interest is growing - with fan-made videos for Crowe’s songs “Immersed” and “Effortless” each scaling the #2 most watched position in January 2008 on Clipfish, Germany’s über-popular video portal. Fellow Canadian Avril Lavigne held the #1 spot.

Many in the record business are just getting comfortable with the new environment. Allison Crowe, following the model of Ani DiFranco and Loreena McKennitt, but, adapting her path for the internet age, has already found her place not only via online media, but, through her authentic recording methods and live performances.

David Powell, Welsh-based Interactive DVD Architect & Software Engineer writes: "I'm listening to 'Effortless' on (Allison Crowe’s) This Little Bird album with my Pro-Ject headphone amplifier (a new toy) turned up about a quarter more than on most modern records. It sounds fantastic because unlike most modern records it hasn't had the **** compressed out of it to raise the loudness."

From live videos and records, unprocessed, to the live stage, entirely natural - 2008 will see Allison Crowe visit Europe twice - for concerts in Scotland, England, Wales, France, Germany, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Austria and, possibly, more. Canada and U.S. concert dates will also be announced.

Before returning to the concert forum for her own, solo, shows, Allison Crowe joins troupes in her two Canadian homes, Nanaimo, British Columbia and Corner Brook, Newfoundland. Tonight, February 1, Crowe is part of a multi-disciplinary cast at Nanaimo’s Port Theatre poised to celebrate the Fifth Anniversary of Open Minds Open Windows’ “It Only Takes a Moment” - a fundraising and awareness event for mental health. On Saturday, February 9, she takes to the stage some 7000 kilometres east when, at Corner Brook’s Arts and Culture Centre, Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador presents its annual Valentine’s week fundraiser, “Sexy and Dangerous”. (Speaking of sexy, congrats to Corner Brook on its winning bid to host the ECMAs in 2009!)

For music and more, please visit http://www.allisoncrowe.com - and come out to experience Allison Crowe live.

"In a nation that prides itself on hockey to the point of obsession, there is something else in which we can take justifiable national pride, our young, female singer-songwriters. And for my money Allison Crowe is the best of the bunch, certainly the most versatile," says veteran Canadian journalist Bruce Mason.

Witnessing these past three weeks of Tidings concerts, originals and covers, of rock, folk, jazz, pop, gospel, and blues, settles the score - without need for overtime or shootout.

Many top talents have laced up their skates over the years. Supremely rare, though, is Wayne Gretzky. Bobby Orr. And, so it is with music.

Allison Crowe is emerging as one of the true greats in her arena. From hometown glory to international audiences.

Not since a post-Schmorgs-pre-Poisoned Art Bergmann commanded the stage of Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom has a young Canadian so purely manifest the exuberant spirit of rock and roll. Like Bruce Springsteen in his 1970s prime, Crowe delivers rock music as a religious experience. Her talent is transcendent.

And the testifying grows with each performance and recording.

Ted and Jerry Gibson, fans who traveled 650 miles, from Boise, Idaho to Victoria, B.C., for a December 8 concert were moved especially by an epic rendition of Allison Crowe’s song “Disease” - noting: “We loved it, were amazed by it, were consumed by it.” Writing in the current issue of Boulevard magazine, reviewer Robert Moyes says Crowe’s live take on “I Never Loved a Man”, (from her album “This Little Bird”), "would give Aretha Franklin goose-bumps."

Visceral North American reactions mirror those across the pond, where Allison Crowe was most recently a sensation at the John Lennon Northern Lights Festival in Durness, Scotland. Festival Director Mike Merritt describes Crowe's performance as "awesome" and "spine-tingling", adding: "Allison has put Canada well and truly on the map here!"

In a BBC documentary about the event, crowned the UK’s Best New Festival, Merritt recounts bringing Allison Crowe together with Carol Ann Duffy, the UK’s most popular living poet, and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, the Queen’s Master of Music, on the Lennon fest’s classical music night:

“I had a nightmare, I tell you, that day. I had a string quartet coming. And, unfortunately, literally as they checked in, the cellist was taken ill. As most people know you can’t replace a cellist, especially in Durness, at the last minute.

And, so, I was left with a dilemma - what do I do? And as I mentioned earlier, everything that happened I thought went wrong, happened for a reason to be better. And I brought in Allison Crowe.”

Merritt wondered how it’d work - a 26-year-old musician from Canada bridging performances by Carol Ann Duffy, “arguably the world’s greatest poet”, and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, “one of the world’s greatest-ever composers”. The gamble paid off magnificently. “My word, did that put hairs on the back of your neck! (Crowe’s performance) brought the house down.”

Hear John Lennon Festival Director Mike Merritt chatting with BBC Radio Scotland’s Iain Anderson and more of the BBC documentary

And hear Allison Crowe's song, “Alive and Breathing".

European and North American tour dates are in planning for 2008.