Deanna Knight,
Shadow of a Star
(SheMoon, 2002)

With 13 recordings to her credit and a 20-odd year performance history, Deanna Knight is a veteran whose credentials are so much more than noteworthy. In her early years "D," as she is called, traveled with the 60-piece Oshawa Festival Singers as lead vocalist touring Europe, appearing at festivals and on television. She is a co-founder of the Eclectic Theatre Company and created Balloon-A-Toons, a service that provided event decorating and singing telegrams. She has toured with the Fat Cats and the Classic Swing Orchestra and has produced cabaret-style shows. She has an independent recording and production company.

As smooth as fine whisky, D's voice envelopes you and you are carried aloft. This is the kind of music that hypnotizes its listener. You simply drift away, unaware of the continuance of the world around you. At times sultry and sexy, at others jazzy and sassy, her songs are spiritual, but not overwhelmingly so. There is birdsong and running water, sitar and wood flute, didgeridoo and dobro. And her beautiful lyrics, "You hear me cry, see through the dark, pierce the fear that holds my heart. I feel you near, so dear to me, my love for you will ever be ... unending."

Also appearing on the album are George Koller (acoustic bass, cello, guitar, piano, sitar), Jack Walker (guitar, dobro, lapsteel), Richard Bell (piano, rhodes), Gary Craig (drums), Oliver Schroer (fiddle), Carlos del Junco (harmonica), Ernie Tollar (wood flute), Ben Grossman (percussion) and Jesse Lucas (didgeridoo).

With Shadow of a Star they have created a place for rest and reflection, comfort and peace.

- Rambles
written by Sheree Morrow
published 15 November 2003