Deanna Knight - Short BIO (80-100 words)

Deanna Knight is a Canadian singer-songwriter whose genre-fluid soulsongs blend folk, jazz, soul, and roots music with themes of healing, connection, and care for the planet. Her solo work—spanning Shadow of a Star and Every Little Spark—offers songs for humanity grounded in authenticity and compassion. Between these two releases, Knight spent 22 years as Vancouver’s beloved gypsy-jazz chanteuse with The Hot Club of Mars, while booking endless premier stages and recording two albums, keeping an array of vintage tunes alive and well. A founding voice in Canada’s jam-band movement, she currently focuses on her unique songwriting and solo project, memorable event creations for listening audiences, her continued journey with Grateful Dead Tribute GD/BC and, on occasion, her beloved Hot Club of Mars.

2024 – Every Little Spark – Deanna Knight
2011 – Kiss of Fire – Deanna Knight & the Hot Club of Mars
2005 - Gypsy Fire ~ Deanna Knight & the Hot Club of Mars
2001 – Shadow of a Star ~ Deanna Knight
2000 – A Little Piece ~ Deanna Knight 
1998-99 – Air is Breath I & II ~ Deanna Knight
1998 – INTUIT ~ 7th KW Women in Music compilation
1997 – Judy Garland ~ Craig Cardiff (harmony)
1994 – Cruelty’s Cure ~ FatCats (lead and harmony)
1992 – Autumn Moon ~ Scott Deneau (harmony)
1991 – Mileage ~ Pete Webb (harmony)
1990 – The Thirst ~ Eddy Moon (harmony)
1984 & 1986 – 2 LP’s with the Oshawa Festival Singers

Long Bio (300-350 words)

In the unfolding narrative of her life, Deanna Knight stands as a multifaceted artist—singer, songwriter, bandleader, presenter, and cultural maven — whose work is rooted in healing, connection, and collective care. Her musical journey traces an intentional arc that bridges conscious songwriting, improvisational freedom, and decades of collaborative leadership.

Knight’s debut solo album, Shadow of a Star, introduced her as a songwriter with a clear purpose—offering genre-fluid songs for humanity and the planet through a blend of folk, jazz, soul, and roots music. Featuring an acclaimed cast of Canadian musicians (including George Koller, Gary Craig and Richard Bell), the album established the spiritual and environmental themes that continue to define her voice.

Between her two solo albums, Knight became widely known as the charismatic gypsy-jazz chanteuse of Vancouver’s Hot Club of Mars, a role she held strongly for 22 years. In addition to fronting the band, she booked, managed, and spearheaded two albums, guiding the ensemble through festivals, tours, and major jazz and folk stages across BC. This era of artistic stewardship refined both her leadership voice and her deep respect for musical tradition.

Running parallel to her jazz career, Knight has been a founding voice in Canada’s jam-band movement, where spontaneity, improvisation, and communal music-making are central values. She continues to perform with GD/BC, one of the country’s most respected Grateful Dead tribute projects, contributing her signature harmonies and honoring the lineage of exploratory, soul-driven live performance.

In 2024, Knight returned to the foreground with her sophomore solo album Every Little Spark, a luminous collection of original songs recorded in Toronto and British Columbia with longtime collaborators and some of Canada’s finest musicians. Expanding on themes first explored in Shadow of a Star, the album reflects love, self-worth, forgiveness, and our shared responsibility to one another and the Earth.

Now based on the Sunshine Coast of BC, Knight remains deeply engaged in her musical community—performing regularly while also presenting both established and emerging artists through local venues and her acclaimed SoulShine Garden Concert Series, presented in the garden of her top-rated Secret Beach B&B Suites. Whether performing solo, with her touring ensemble, or alongside long-standing collaborative projects, Deanna Knight creates heart-opening musical experiences that invite listeners into presence, connection, and the remembering of their own inner spark

Toronto Recording Band ~ Every Little Spark~

Deanna Knight - vocals, ukulele, harmonies
Les Cooper - guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonies, steel guitar, piano, string arrangments
Simon Kendall - piano, Hammond organ, Wurlitzer piano
George Koller - acoustic bass, Höfner bass, cello, sarangi 
Davide DiRenzo - drums, percussion, harmonies 

Additional musicians
Drew Jurecka -  violin, viola, clarinet, bandoneon
Karen Graves - tenor sax

Recorded @ Union Sound Co. in Toronto, 
& The Farm Studios, Gibsons, BC. Canada

Produced by Les Cooper & Deanna Knight

Every Little Spark ~ story for new solo release

After 22 years as Vancouver’s charismatic gypsy-swing chanteuse, Deanna Knight resurfaces in a new chapter as a songwriter with a clear purpose. Every Little Spark is her genre-fluid, ten-song sophomore album—speaking to love for ourselves, one another, and the planet we share. The project marks a heartfelt return to trusted musical relationships, rekindling long-standing friendships with some of Canada’s finest acoustic musicians.

At the centre of the album is Knight’s collaboration with award-winning producer and multi-instrumentalist Les Cooper (Jill Barber, Good Lovelies). Together, Cooper’s production, engineering, and mixing—paired with a strong collection of original songs penned by Knight—create a record that calls for deep listening and emotional honesty. Recorded in Toronto and British Columbia, the sessions brought together an all-star ensemble including George Koller (Holly Cole, Loreena McKennitt), Simon Kendall (Doug & the Slugs, Colin James), Davide DiRenzo (Jacksoul, Cassandra Wilson, Danny Michel), and Drew Jurecka (Dua Lipa, Chantal Kreviazuk).

Together, they created a warm, spacious record that blends folk, jazz, soul, and roots—each song honoured as a spark of hope, healing, and connection. The BC Performance band featuring Simon on keys, does an outstanding job of delivering these songs.

BC Performance Band (duo to 5 piece)

Geoff Hicks - drums and percussion
Simon Kendall - piano and organ
Deanna Knight - vocal and Uke
Rob Becker - acoustic and electric bass
Eric Reed - guitar, banjo and mandolin

This ensemble blossomed in support of Deanna Knight’s BC release shows—an unexpected alchemy that revealed how naturally their musical voices align. Rooted in folk, jazz, soul, and the “healing vibes” Knight is known for, the group delivers heart-opening, uplifting performances designed to inspire connection, joy, and a sense of shared spirit.

Available as a duo through a five-piece, the band features award-winning musicians who have toured and recorded with Canadian greats including Doug & The Slugs, Jim Byrnes, Colin James, Barney Bentall, Jim Cuddy, Coco Love, and Bill Henderson. Together, they create a dynamic festival experience—rich musicianship, beautiful storytelling, and songs that remind audiences of the spark we all carry.

Every Little Spark

Deanna Knight

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Every Little Spark is Deanna Knight’s luminous sophomore solo album—an indie-folk, soul-inflected collection of songs for humanity and the planet. Featuring the return of top Canadian musicians and longtime collaborators, Read more

Every Little Spark is Deanna Knight’s luminous sophomore solo album—an indie-folk, soul-inflected collection of songs for humanity and the planet. Featuring the return of top Canadian musicians and longtime collaborators, the album pairs strong, emotionally resonant songwriting with rich acoustic textures and improvisational warmth. Rooted in themes of self-worth, connection, and care for the Earth, Every Little Spark invites listeners into a heart-opening musical experience designed for deep listening, shared presence, and collective joy.

A powerful sophomore album with an all-star band: George Koller (Holly Cole, Loreena McKennitt), Simon Kendall (Doug & the Slugs, Colin James), Davide DiRenzo (Jacksoul, Cassandra Wilson, Danny Michel), Drew Jurecka (Dua Lipa, Chantal Kreviazuk) and award-winning producer/engineer Les Cooper (Jill Barber, Good Lovelies).

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    Blessed to Witness 4:26
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    Feed Your Heart 3:36
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    My Own Creation 5:06
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    Shadow of a Star ~ S.O.S. 4:53
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    Together Forever Apart 3:41
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What's being said...

“Hire this woman. She touches the heart”

— VALDY / Canadian folk legend

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Contact : Deanna / dthesinger@gmail.com / 604 362 1280