Bio
Juno Nominated Jazz vocalist and songwriter Denielle Bassels' career in music began when a dream sent her from her hometown of Toronto, overseas to Lausanne, Switzerland, where she sought respite from a tumultuous era in her life. She arrived as an au pair (nanny) and left two years later as a professional jazz singer, singing in some of the country's top Jazz clubs.
"The little boy I looked after, Osvaldo, took lessons at a prestigious jazz school called Ejma and it was there that I met teachers and students who showed me the jazz caverns and music scene. They got me up to sing one night at a jam, and I was suddenly a jazz singer with my own combo doing shows. I never had any training, so it was a strange and exhilarating adventure."
Denielle yearned for something more, a deeper foundation to create. So after two years of working and performing in Europe, she returned to Canada and auditioned for Humber College's contemporary music program. There, she found her new band and was holding residencies at some of Toronto's finest jazz clubs Her country may have changed, but the captivated audiences remained; Denielle quickly made a name for herself as a vocalist and performer. Still, she was looking for more and soon fell in love with songwriting. Her first original song, "Cool Cool Water," won Grand Prize in the International John Lennon Song Competition, while later, five more originals went on to place in the finals. With these accolades, she was awarded grants from the Toronto Arts Council and the Canada Council of The Arts to fund her first full-length album, "What About Wool Wishbags," released in early 2017. The album hit #1 on iTunes and was voted the top 5 albums of 2017 by Jazz FM 91.1. Full of whimsy and charm, it is a story-laden volume of original music set in scenes of manouche swing, folk, and blues.
In 2024 Bassels was nominated for a JUNO award for her 2023 Album "Little Bit a' Love" in the Vocal Jazz Album of the Year category. On the heels of this prestigeous recognition, Bassels is set to release her 3rd original album funded by FACTOR Canada this fall. ​
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