“When my years of loving end and I cross over. It’s just another day because I believe.” — from When I Cross Over, Crickett Allen
FROM CRICKETT'S FAMILY
Crickett left this world in December of 2021, but her spirit and her music remain here with us. We are so honored to release this collection of songs that she was working on in the last years of her life. Her husband, Ren has gone to great lengths to preserve the musicianship and integrity of these tracks and has carefully put together the album, True Love’s Waiting. You can read more of his liner notes on the MUSIC page. With the help of kids Hunter, Reny and Kelly and son-in-law, Stacy, this music now lives in the streaming world for all to hear and share. So please, listen and share it to friends, social media and family!
True Love's Waiting
SONGS FOR CRICKETT - A TRIBUTE EP
NOTES FROM REN
These songs are songs that Crickett wrote but didn’t have the opportunity to record, along with an instrumental I wrote to her after she passed. Local musicians and friends of ours were glad to help. I am extremely grateful to all these incredible artists and friends.
Our thanks to Michaele Hanneman, Michael Alongi, Tony Cason, Brian Murphy, Will Gore and Levi Hamilton
Crickina is a song I wrote at night shortly after Crick passed. It was born from a profound sense of loss and created itself as I aimlessly played alone. Levi agreed to put the idea down. It was a first take on rhythm and lead parts, and Levi later asked if Mike could add percussion. I love Mike's playing and he truly gave the song its feel. It's my effort to say I love and miss you- have fun in Heaven!
Lookin’ in the Mirror is the only other song Crick wrote about me, and never got to record. When she first played it for me she was giggling- what a nice song I thought, then she hit the chorus and of course lit me up, laughing the whole time. Michaele Hanneman and her husband Mike Alongi do a fantastic job playing it, along with Tony Cason on guitar and banjo- they're incredible musicians and friends.
Little Bit Crazy hit me one night while I was cooking hamburgers. I started singing it- giftwrapped- and had the entire song, melody and progressions down on a napkin in 10 minutes. Crick wrote fast- this was an express mail from her to me- still mind-boggling - Michaele and Mike again do an amazing job on piano, vocals and Bass /Drums.
Heaven's Gates was Crick’s last composition in this life, one she unfortunately never got to record. She was thinking of a relative she dearly loved, Margaret Richards, and began writing the song. This took place soon before we left for Maine where we played music all summer. As the song took shape she was inspired by friends and family who had passed on before us, paving the way to Heaven and eternal Love. We worked on it , she was always the composer and arranger of her work, she gave me freedom to put guitar lines in. She wrote a beautiful melody in this song, and I asked friends that she admired musically to play on it. I believe Crick and Margaret are both pleased with how it turned out.
Coming in September, the release of
The Legend of Neptune Small is a collaboration with Crickett and Michael Hulett, one of her favorite musicians, sax players and singers. It's about an incredible man and hero from Saint Simons Island, GA, who risked his life traveling through enemy lines to return 2 brothers' bodies killed in the civil war. The instruments were vintage from the 1850s. Neptune remains an icon to this day.
Crickett Allen began her musical career as a child with the encouragement of her parents who were both polished professional musicians. She started her professional career in Indianapolis playing piano, keyboards, singing and songwriting with excellent funk fusion and jazz bands. Since that time she has enjoyed a wonderful career performing throughout the US, Europe and the Caribbean.
