INTRODUCTION

In the dark we wrestle with God and love and drink. The stars come out, our guards break down, we share our secrets and mourn our pasts. We are searching, we are sleeping, and Kristia Di Gregorio is lulling us into the sweetest of dreams.

Kristia Di Gregorio's brand of smoky-cool vocals and jazz based folk noir is hauntingly influenced by old-world New Orleans, jasmine perfume and all things humidly timeworn. Her passionate vocal stylings and come-hither whispers conjure sultry nightclub singers and torch-song balladeers, but her all-original repertoire of velvety vocals and seductive arrangements is anything but your predictable jazz standard.

Kristia is poised to release her latest CD entitled Any Given Night. The songs illuminate the city at night, ushering the listener through the minds of many… lovers, philosophers, professionals... By night she travels though noisy clubs and dimly-lit apartments, wanders streets and uncovers hidden meeting places. Di Gregorio invites you, beckons you, to follow her.

Kristia Di Gregorio pushes the boundaries of traditional folk, jazz and blues for a sound that is at once dynamic and subtle, flirtatious and coy, sexy and dark, “leaving the listener yearning for more of her… and no one else.” Warren Footz, SEE Magazine

BIOGRAPHY

Kristia Di Gregorio [ kris TEE ahh DEE greg oreo] was born Kristia Jeanne Sheffield in North Vancouver, British Columbia to an aspiring novelist and a world champion highland dancer who had returned to BC after a stint as settlement managers of a small Inuit community in northern Manitoba.

The Sheffields settled in Squamish where they owned and operated a small sporting goods store and lived in a nearby trailer park. Tragically, an arsonist struck one night and the store was burned to the ground with their guard dog Ripper still inside. With no money and no insurance, the family picked up and moved to East Vancouver and lived in a one bedroom apartment while struggling to find work and rebuild a life.

Music came early and by age 5 Kristia had begun guitar lessons. A couple of years later singing would begin in youth choirs and talent shows. By age 11, Kristia quit her classical studies to join a band… performing rockabilly classics in community festivals around BC.

By 18, Kristia Jeanne Sheffield was a seasoned performer and independently wrote and produced her first CD. Songs for the Fallen was an acclaimed collection of moody-Celtic influenced songs. She moved aboard a sailboat with her cat, promoting her music by day and sleeping with a flare gun under her pillow at night.

A trip to New Orleans in 2001 would prove to be a turning point in Kristia’s creative development. Seduced by the birthplace of jazz, its powerful influence crept into her writing and vocal delivery. Inspired by the history and allure of the town, Kristia readied herself to make her next recording but before getting any further than recording the initial demos, Kristia lost her voice. Pneumonia ravaged her lungs repeatedly. What started as a hiatus between CDs, turned into an indefinite break.

Time forged a new identity. Kristia married guitarist Tony Di Gregorio and together they opened an organic grocery store called Zia Tia’s Organic Goods, a quaint little neighbourhood spot in Port Moody, BC. They kept a record player in the store and a collection of jazz on vinyl. Gradually, while singing along, Kristia’s voice strengthened.

Though the ability to sing returned, another loss was to be had. The little organic store did not survive. Tony and Kristia closed the doors to their business, hung up their aprons and returned to the recording studio. The result is Any Given Night, a collection of 13 songs recorded with musicians Allan Dionne, Boris Favre and Christina Zaenker. Listen and you’ll agree… it was worth the wait.