Joanna Chapman-Smith

Joanna developed her cosmopolitan tastes growing up in multicultural Toronto in a family with Italian-American, New Zealand and Brazilian roots and a well-nurtured thirst for new cultural experiences is unmistakable in Joanna's music. In addition to jazz, folk and classical, her songs also show the influence of many other musical forms, from klezmer and Balkan choral music to tango and flamenco. She is a skilled guitarist, pianist, and clarinetist, but her live shows also feature other, less conventional instruments, many of her own creation.

These elements all help distinguish Joanna from other talented young singer-songwriters, but what truly sets her apart is the voice. It's an extraordinary instrument, crystalline and strong, which Joanna guides effortlessly through a nearly four-octave range.

Joanna's rare vocal skills are on full display in her upcoming album, LOVE ME DEEPLY, scheduled for release in October 2012. Ironically, the original inspiration for the album was Joanna's fear that she might lose her voice altogether. In 2008, she experienced persistent throat pain and for several weeks her voice was reduced to a whisper. With medical aid the problem was soon solved, but the experience inspired several songs on the theme of losing and reclaiming one's "voice," one's personal identity.

Co-produced by Joanna and Mat Martin (Kirsty McGee, Quiet Loner), LOVE ME DEEPLY features ten original compositions. The album was recorded in Vancouver and features some of the city's best players, including Albert St. Albert (Nina Simone) and Jaron Freeman-Fox on an imaginative and groovy reworking of the jazz standard "Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good to You?". LOVE ME DEEPLY is the finest work to date from a performer on the rise.