Sugarcane Jane Bio Word Doc 2017
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! Sugarcane Jane “Organic Music at its Finest” Sugarcane Jane, the Alabama Gulf Coast-based husband and wife duo has amassed an extremely loyal following. Anthony and Savana Lee Crawford purvey what they proudly call “Organic Music at its Finest.” Rich, homegrown, and natural, their brand of Americana draws from a deep well of roots influences, interwoven with inflections of gospel, country, jazz, and rock. Listeners can expect mostly acoustic sounds, and some of the freshest-sounding vocal harmonies they will ever hear. Both virtuosos in their own right, Anthony is a songwriter who plays acoustic guitar, fiddle, and a bass drum (which he plays while strumming his six-string) and Savana Lee deftly dances between rhythm guitar and snare drum. Multi-instrumentalist Anthony Crawford is known in most circles as a sideman to the stars. Over the course of the last 25 years, he has performed with Neil Young, Sonny James, Steve Winwood, Dwight Yoakam, Vince Gill, Rosanne Cash, and Rodney Crow- ell, and has written / co-written songs recorded by Steve Winwood, Dwight Yoakam, Kenny Rogers, Pegi Young, Lee Greenwood, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, to name a few. Yet, even with his history of working with heavyweights, Crawford feels Sugarcane Jane – his musical venture with multi-instrumentalist wife Savana Lee Crawford, is his life’s calling. Sugarcane Jane’s newest studio album, Ladders and Edges – an album they con- ceived with the legendary Colin Linden, Canadian musician, songwriter and record producer, musical director of Nashville, and member of the group Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. The album is being re- leased via Crawford's Admiral Bean Records on May 26, 2017. Recorded at Anthony Crawford's own Admiral Bean Studio, in Loxley, Alabama, this cave man groove, thought provoking album delves into present times with positive messages and insight. “This album has been a long time coming. These are all our own songs and really give more insight as to who we are and what we believe in. Family is everything to us and we are trying to give our kids some guidance and advice in a song, without having to necessarily tell them everything,” says Anthony. “These songs go deeper than some of our previous albums. We really just laid our hearts out on our sleeves.” Anthony Crawford - Anthony Crawford, born in Birmingham, Alabama, has thrived in the music business working alongside Neil Young, Steve Winwood, and Dwight Yoakam as well as carving out his own solo career, a duo with wife Sa- vana Lee in Sugarcane Jane, and in Americana su- pergroup Willie Sugarcapps. He currently juggles a multi- tude of creative outlets in- cluding his own recording studio in Loxley, Alabama, Admiral Bean Stu- dio and a solo career in which he has released two albums over the last two years, National Treasure and In the Clouds. "Anthony Crawford is a very talented guitar player, which, when combined with his soar- ing vocals, makes him someone to watch. He has the ability to turn his hand to almost any instrument and make it sound good." ~ Steve Winwood He's had the kind of career that most artists only dream about. The Forrest Gump of the music business is what is often joked about in the Crawford house. From the age of 18 after graduating high school in Birmingham, Alabama Anthony went from Opryland to the Grand Ole Opry w/Roy Acuff, to being on tour with Sonny James, Neil Young, then Steve Winwood, Vince Gill, and Dwight Yoakam. He's had appearances on Hee Haw, Austin City Limits, Live Aid, Farm Aid, Showtime, the Late Show with David Letterman, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Today Show, Grammy Awards Show, made music videos (Wonderin-Neil Young, Gone-Dwight Yoakam as well as his solo videos), been in movies (Heart of Gold-Neil Young, Neil Young Trunk Show-Neil Young, Blackhawk DVD). He's played on stage with Paul McCartney with Neil Young at Hyde Park. He's taken cover photos on albums like Neil Young's Chrome Dreams II and Pegi Young's Foul Deeds. The last decade has been an intri- cate part of Anthony's ultimate di- rection. After marrying musical partner Savana Lee and settling down in the rural southern Alabama town of Loxley, and having three children, Anthony is well planted in fertile soil. His focus now lies in his family which led him to create Admi- ral Bean Studio. It is what now dri- ves him as well as enables him to spend more time at home while con- tinuing to explore all creative avenues. Savana Lee - Savana was raised along Alabama's Gulf Coast and although she's ventured off at times (New Orleans, Nashville), the coast is her home. In Music City Savana began her Nashville recordings; six songs titled Untamed pro- duced by Loretta Lynn's sound engineer, Tim Townsend. The songs were never officially released but Townsend was so impressed that he made sure everyone in his circle knew who she was, the girl with the golden tone. While living in Nashville, she spent time writing and performing at the world renowned Bluebird Cafe, Broken Spoke, and Douglas Corner. Savana's dreams of being an artist were temporarily side- tracked while co-owning and managing a well-respected vintage analog studio in Nashville, TN: Deepfield Studio. Deepfield Studio recorded many major la- bel artists, including Lucinda Williams whose work there was nominated for a Grammy (Hank Williams Tribute Al- bum ‘Cold Cold Heart’), Rodney Crowell, Bruce Cockburn You’ve Never Seen Every- thing, Emmylou Harris, Terri Clark, Lee Anne Womack, Jack Ingram, Keb Mo, Colin Linden Big Mouth, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, and most importantly, Anthony Craw- ford. Savana met Anthony while he was recording his own tracks at Deepfield Studio. He re- cruited her to sing a few demos for him and they began an everlasting friendship and brotherhood. "I was an immediate fan of Anthony's writing and musicianship. I fell in love with him as an artist and then as a human being. He is an amazing person and my soul mate." Creating harmonies typically heard only from siblings the two decided to record their first album together, Redbird. The music, as well as family and a budding romance led them back home to the Gulf Coast forming the popular band, Sugarcane Jane. While making frequent stops at Cathe Steele's Blue Moon Farm (The Frog Pond), the couple was placed in a round that would once again change their direction. Will Kimbrough, Grayson Capps, Corky Hughes, and Sugarcane Jane. It has molded into what is now known as Willie Sugar- capps, a band who's debut album won Americana Album of the Year (IMA's-2013). Willie Sugarcapps' sophmore effort, Paradise Right Here was released in April 2016. Visit www.williesugarcapps.com for more info. Press Quotes: “An album that deserves to be at the top of critics’ lists” and “One of the best duos since Johnny and June” - The Washington Times “Indeed, every move these two make, whether as Sugar- cane Jane or as a part of the Americana group from Lower Alabama, Willie Sugarcapps, they seemingly can not put a musical foot wrong.” - Exclusive Magazine.