Singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco [ tickets ]'s 2008 schedule is beginning to take shape, with a run of dates from mid-January propelling roadwork in support of her recent career retrospective.

The singer adds to her previously scheduled trek, which kicks off tonight (11/6) with the first of a pair of shows in Toronto. The new dates launch with a Jan. 17 show in Huntington, NY, and cover five Northeastern cities through the beginning of February. The full schedule is included below.

DiFranco will bring along her usual live backup crew, which consists of Todd Sickafoose on upright bass and Allison Miller on drums. The November shows will add the services of Mike Dillon on percussion and vibes.

Released in September, DiFranco's new album, "Canon," is her first-ever career retrospective. She hand-selected 36 songs for the two-disc set, which covers material from her 1990 debut to her 19th album, last year's "Reprieve." "Canon" also includes five re-recorded versions of old DiFranco favorites, including "Both Hands," which is streaming at her MySpace page.

DiFranco, who also recently saw her first book of poetry, "Verses," hit store shelves in the US, spent much of this year getting back into the swing of a full-time music career following the birth of her first daughter, Petah Lucia, last January. The child's father is Mike Napolitano, who co-produced DiFranco's 2006 album "Reprieve."