Angela Verbrugge

Artist Website

Vancouver/Victoria based vocalist Angela Verbrugge was nominated for Jazz Artist of the Year at the 2024 Western Canadian Music Awards. She topped the polls for female jazz vocalist in both JazzTimes (2020) and All About Jazz (2024). She “possesses a winsome, brightly-burnished, pliable voice, ample emotional intelligence, and conspicuously good taste,” according to critic Andrew Gilbert, and for Verbrugge he predicts, “now is the time.” In 2024, Origin Records (top 10 jazz labels, Downbeat Magazine) released Angela’s album of standards, “Somewhere”. Her 2022 release, “Love for Connoisseurs” features Angela’s original lyrics, compositions, arrangements and songwriting collaborations with respected New York City composers. Angela’s standout songs in the style of the Great American Songbook received praise in Jazzwise, Couleurs France, Syncopated Times, Jersey Jazz, LA Jazz Scene and publications around the world.

Her career has grown rapidly since her 2019 debut album, “The Night We Couldn’t Say Good Night”, for which Toronto Music Report raved, “a rare perfect album”, and for whom WSJ journalist and acclaimed author Will Friedwald added the liner notes. Born in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Angela was one of the youngest graduates of the acclaimed acting program at George Brown College, Toronto. After moving west, she broke both legs in a car accident, and pursued a business career before returning to performing after beating cancer at age 33.

Positive reviews from top global publications note her charisma vocally and on-stage, and have heralded her albums as head-and-shoulders-above standouts. She has appeared at top jazz clubs internationally in the UK, Germany, France, Japan, Taiwan, Luxembourg, Turkey and coast-to-coast in Canada. Angela’s past work and initiatives have been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, FACTOR, Creative BC, Music BC and the Province of British Columbia. Her trios have included Juno-winners/nominees, and Order of Canada recipients.