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For anyone who's heard her perform, the voice of singer-songwriter Jodie Manross is unmistakable.

It rises from within the small-framed woman like the swelling crest of an incoming wave, gentle and rolling, slowly building in power and volume. Like those same waves, its beauty is mesmerizing, and whether she's accompanying herself on guitar or singing a capella, there's no denying that she possesses a truly remarkable gift.

Unfortunately, though, it's a gift that came with a price — singing so passionately took a toll on her body that left her out of commission for almost a year. And now that her voice is back, that near-loss has caused Manross to reevaluate her life and her career — so after a final show tonight at World Grotto in downtown Knoxville, she's packing her bags and headed to the Big Apple.

It's truly a blow to the local music scene, not just because of the loss of her talent but because Manross has been involved in so much more — accompanying local theater productions and dance troupes; organizing benefit concerts for fellow musicians; and generally being a fixture on the scene whose high-wattage smile seemed to make everything a little brighter.

"It's been an agonizing decision to leave, but it's been years in the making," Manross told The Daily Times this week. "I just got to a point where I finally got my voice back and decided to give it a hundred percent. I knew that if I didn't leave now, I never would. As of Jan. 1, I've been in Knoxville for 10 years, and it's been a wonderful time. It's completely flown by, and now I think it's time to challenge myself and change and grow and learn in another city for a while."

After moving to Knoxville, Manross took a job at Lawson-McGhee Library, where she worked up until a year ago. Slowly immersing herself in the local music scene, she put together the Jodie Manross Band, which featured her long-time collaborator Laith Keilany, with whom she still performs. At 5-feet-2-inches tall, she earned a reputation as "the little woman with the big voice," and she quickly captivated those who turned out to hear her heartfelt performances. Knoxville's alternative-weekly newspaper voted her Knoxville's Best Female Vocalist in 2000, and her talent won her opening slots for such national artists as John Mayer, Keb' Mo', Rusted Root, Me'shell Ndegeocello and B.B. King.

By 2002, however, she began to notice that her voice didn't quite have the staying power it used to.

"I didn't know what was wrong for the longest time, but at the end of shows, I would notice that my voice was so tired that it hurt," she said. "I've always been asked, 'How do you belt like that?', and I guess the whole 'little woman with a big voice' thing came with a price. I've unfortunately done some damage through the years of singing bigger than my stature."

She tried a number of treatments, from chiropractic visits to speech therapy to acupuncture. Finally, an acupuncturist correctly diagnosed the problem — acid reflux had damaged her esophagus and a hiatal hernia was affecting her ability to draw breath. After hernia surgery, it was discovered that she had a massive sinus infection that she had probably carried around unknowingly for years, so she underwent treatment for that.

"Once both of those things healed, I started to get my voice back, and it truly came back this summer while I was performing in 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch,'" she said. "I feel very blessed to be able to get it back, because for a while, I never thought I would. I had to quit singing for almost a year so I could rehabilitate it, and through doing that, I've learned a lot. I've learned what's important to me.

"I sing very differently now, and when I'm singing while I play guitar, it's more folky. It's more light-sounding, and it almost feels like I have a completely different voice. When I'm just singing, I'm still able to get those deep breaths and belt it out, but it's still not as powerful as it used to be. It has its moments; it's getting there, but I'm just taking it one performance at a time."

Over the years of touring, Manross had often played in New York, but it was about six months ago that she caught the eye of members of Cyndi Lauper's band. They were in the audience during one of her New York shows, and after falling in love with the city over the years, their interest in playing and recording with her cemented her decision to relocate.

"It's been about three years in the making or so," she said. "Both of my sisters moved there, and in visiting them, I really fell in love with the city."

With Lauper's drummer and guitar player, Manross hopes to record a new album, tentatively titled "The Myth of Solid Ground," in the spring. (Keilany will join her once he recuperates from a recent battle with cancer; Manross organized a benefit for him last year that saw an incredible turn-out by those involved in the local music scene.)

In addition, Manross has been spotlighted thanks to the use of her music by the Fox TV show "So You Think You Can Dance." Her songs were used in the show over the summer, and those episodes recently started airing overseas, where they've generated new interest in her, she added. (Recently, she said, she started receiving messages to her Myspace site from as far away as South Korea, where the episodes have just started to air.)

Combined with long-time association with Knoxville's Circle Modern Dance and her friendship with Circle founder Mark Lamb — who runs his own dance company these days in New York — and she already has a full plate once she arrives in the Big Apple.

First, however, she has to say goodbye to Knoxville. Tonight's show will be an emotional one, filled with warm wishes from old friends and send-offs from those who will perform with her. She hopes to be on the road by Jan. 17 or 18, she said.

"I'm going to miss all the people, especially all of my incredible musician friends," she said. "That's one of the reasons I chose to come to Knoxville, because it's such a unique place, and everyone is so special here. There's a warmth and a realness here that you just can't find anywhere else."