Acrpost: A Project of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres

Event Description

Angela's Night We Couldn’t Say Good Night project is sure to connect with audiences nurturing recollections of their own night when they were transformed with love and wonder, inspiring them to consider changing their lives by connecting with another person.

JazzTimes Magazine writes that Canadian jazz vocalist Angela Verbrugge "possesses a winsome, brightly burnished, pliable voice, with ample emotional intelligence, considerable songwriting skills, and conspicuously good taste.” Toronto Music Report described, “ a stunning debut album beautifully crafted arrangements in beguiling variety and sensuousness. Verbrugge addresses each with the breathtakingly, absolutely natural and unaffected purity of her voice… her material sound magical.”

Angela was invited to release her debut record in 2019 on New York-based Gut String Records with piano trio backing from three veterans of the NYC Jazz scene: Ray Gallon (Lionel Hampton, Joe Williams, Chaka Khan), Cameron Brown (former Jazz Messenger, Sheila Jordan regular voice-bass duo partner) and Anthony Pinciotti (Stacey Kent, Dr Lonnie Smith). The album debuted at number one in jazz on iTunes-Canada. Raul de Gama of Toronto Music Report describes, “ beautifully crafted arrangements in beguiling variety and sensuousness.” CBC Radio host Laila Biali described, "There's so much joy in her delivery.” Angela was one of the youngest graduates from Toronto’s George Brown School of Performing Arts after a youth spent active on the arts scene of her birth city, Kingston, Ontario. She relocated to British Columbia in 1997. After having three kids (now 11, 13 and 15) and three brushes with death (drowning, car accident and cancer), she followed her passion to jazz cobbling together her jazz-specific musical education through self-study, mentorship from top Canadian and American vocalists and musicians, alongside an active local gig schedule in Vancouver and Victoria learning and adapting material on the bandstand.

Wall Street Journal-writer Will Friedwald notes in his liner notes that Verbrugge possesses, "a vocal sound that's full of depth and nuance - welcoming the light without denying the existence of the darkness” and that she works with a “top-drawer arranging crew and cast of expert musicians”.Angela is primarily influenced by the swing era, pre-bop jazz, vintage musicals, and traditional pop music which originated in the 1920s to 1950s. Angela is a vocalist committed to what Tony Bennett calls “America’s classical music”, and backs up her collaboration with band members by having strong theory skills of having obtained a high level of certification in Royal Conservatory classical piano training, and mentor- and self-taught jazz theory skills. As a lyricist, her work has received critical acclaim, notably from critics in the United States. "Angela gives singers like Lorraine Feather a run for their money with her witty lyrics"(JazzWeekly). MusicWeb International reviewed her debut project, writing that, “Verbrugge is a literate and articulate songwriter astute arrangements and good balance between originals and standards,” raving that her album has a rare “bold, delineated structure”. Angela crafts each set list with the same care she did with her album, customizing her performances for each venue, and working to support the venue with promotions.

She has appeared at the Vancouver International Film Festival, Frankie’s Jazz Club, and other prestigious venues and festivals, mainly on the west coast of Canada. Her recordings have received critical acclaim from radio and podcast hosts across the globe, receiving airplay by popular stations in Canada, the U.S., South America, Europe and Asia. The 2019 album charted on Earshot in Canada and Jazzweek in the United States. George Harris at Jazz Weekly sums it up, describing, ","fun and quirky, hip and a hoot, wispy and romantic; she slithers and oozes, and cleverly swings... in the Archie Comics of life, this lady is a bubbly Betty."

Tony Genge - piano

John Lee - bass

Buff Allen - drums

Tony Genge – Born in Vancouver, Dr. Tony Genge is a leading Canadian jazz pianist, organist, educator and arranger presently living in Victoria. He has performed with many leading Canadian and international jazz artists including Eddie ‘Lockjaw’ Davis, Joe Coughlin, Paul Horn, John Abercrombie, Randy Brecker, Jerry Bergonzi, Jeff Hamilton, Roberta Gamberini, Adam Nussbaum, Gene Bertoncini, Joey Baron, Randy Brecker, Peter Erskin, Larry Grenadier, Lew Soloff, and P.J. Perry. Tony taught jazz piano at St Francis Xavier University from 1989 to 2005. As a jazz pianist, his cool and swinging style references the great jazz piano tradition of pianists such Ahmad Jamal, Red Garland, Wynton Kelly, and Horace Silver. He has written on, and published studies and transcriptions of Red Garland and Wynton Kelly.

John Lee – Raised in Nanaimo, and currently based in Victoria and Vancouver, charismatic multi-instrumentalist John Lee is one of the most respected young jazz musicians nationwide. He is called upon professionally to play bass, piano, drums and guitar. His debut album as a bassist and leader with drummer Eric Reed, pianist Carl Allen and saxophonist Cory Weeds is due out on Cellar Live in 2020. He graduated from Berklee College of Music with a Bachelor of Music degree, after having received a full scholarship. His mentors include Terri Lyne Carrinton, Ralph Peterson Jr and John Clayton. He has appeared with acclaimed international touring artists such as Buster Williams, George Colligan, Terrell Stafford, Ingrid Jensen, Phil Dwyer, Neil Swainson, Brad Turner, David Restivo, Cyrus Chestnut, and Seamus Blake. He has performed across North America, including at such prestigious venues as Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola NYC, Wally’s Jazz Café in Boston, Kennedy Center in Washington, The Rex in Toronto, Yardbird Suite in Edmonton, Frankie’s in Vancouver and at numerous international jazz festivals (including Prince Edward County, DC Jazz Festival, Victoria and Vancouver Int’l Jazz Festival).

Buff Allen – JUNO-award winning drummer, Buff Allen has been performing professionally for close to 50 years. He has appeared over his career with Canadian jazz luminaries such as Ed Bickert, Hugh Fraser, Bob Murphy, Rob McConnell, Peter Appleyard, and Diana Krall to name but a few. He has recorded or performed with many international legends of jazz including Johnny Hartman, Teddy Wilson, Barry Harris, Mose Allison, Red Norvo, Maxine Sullivan and Lenny Breau. He is a versatile and compelling artist, having been called upon by famous children’s performers such as Sharon, Lois & Bram, numerous film scores, TV scores, Ballet BC, many Arts Club theatre productions. He remains a sought-after educator for 35 years. He is easily one of the most experienced jazz drummers and percussionists in all of Canada.