With New York City bebop pianist Ray Gallon in town, charismatic local songstress Angela Verbrugge has put together a night to pay homage to one of the most distinctive voices of the century. The late great Tony Bennett, one of the masterful interpreters of the Great American Songbook, passed away July 21, 2023. They will offer up vocal and instrumental renditions of such classics as I Left My Heart in San Francisco, Cheek to Cheek, The Good Life, Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, Body and Soul, and many more from Tony Bennett’s more than 70 albums and releases alongside Angela’s repertoire inspired by Mr Bennett’s interpretations. Last time Angela presented this show, it sold out… don’t wait to book your tickets for Friday October 20th!
They are joined by Vancouver Island Nanaimo area residents: Ken Lister on bass and Graham Villette on drums. The band brings originality rooted in the authentic sound of tradition, and thrill of the jazz swing feel to the flowing instrumentation and cohesive arrangement details. Ray has played piano for many years with the Lionel Hampton Big Band, and accompanied Tony’s daughter, Antonia. The quartet’s sound blends perfectly to create a close-knit chemistry evoking classic bebop and traditional jazz while tackling original material in a timeless style.
Angela Verbrugge - Vocals
After winning the 2020 JazzTimes’ Readers’ Poll for Best Female Vocalist, Angela has kept a busy tour schedule with performances in Japan, Turkey, Germany, England, as well as across Canada in the last two years. Taking inspiration from vintage musicals, the swing era, blues, and bebop, the Victoria-based vocalist pens original lyrics and compositions in the style of classic standards. She performs these alongside repertoire from the Great American Songbook, such as tunes popularized by Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Julie London. Angela recorded her 2019 album in New York City, co-produced by bassist Cameron Brown. Toronto Music Report writes that Angela is “a gem of a vocalist who makes all her chosen material sound magical.”
JazzWeekly describes the former actress as “fun and quirky, hip and a hoot, wispy and romantic; she slithers and oozes, and cleverly swings.” She won competitive grants from the Canadian governments to support the release of her second album, Love for Connoisseurs. Original songs from this project have been featured on leading Spotify editorial playlists. Angela was one of the youngest graduates from Toronto’s George Brown School of Performing Arts after a youth spent in Ontario. She relocated to western Canada in where she left acting and business careers after three near-death experiences in order to pursue music. Angela is primarily influenced by the swing era, vintage musicals, and bebop. She has appeared at many jazz festivals, and top jazz clubs nationally in Canada, and internationally such as Pizza Express London (Soho), leading clubs across Japan, the Embassy of Canada in Tokyo, and leading venues in Istanbul. Her trios have included such musicians as Ray Gallon, Cameron Brown, Neil Swainson, Thomas Stabenow, Bernie Senensky, and Terry Clarke.
Ray Gallon - Piano
A NYC-native, pianist Ray Gallon has been a mainstay on the jazz scene for over thirty years. Rooted in bebop and blues, his expressive, swingin’ playing melds old and new into a fresh, original style. As a young player, Ray was taken under the wing of piano giants John Lewis, Hank Jones, and Jaki Byard. He has performed at major jazz festivals and venues around the world with such luminaries as Ron Carter (with whom he will be releasing an album in November 2023), Lionel Hampton, Art Farmer, Benny Golson, George Adams, Les Paul, and Wycliffe Gordon. Ray has appeared at the White House and the Kennedy Center, sharing the stage with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Sweets Edison, and Joe Williams. He performs on one of Hampton’s Grammy-nominated albums. An in-demand accompanist, he has worked with many vocal greats, including Jon Hendricks, Sheila Jordan, Dakota Staton, Gloria Lynne, Jane Monheit, and Chaka Khan. Ray's inventive compositions have been recorded by acclaimed artists T.S. Monk and George Adams. His trio album, Make Your Move, features the stellar rhythm section of David Wong and Kenny Washington. His upcoming Cellar Records album, Grand Company, features Ron Carter and Lewis Nash and was recorded at Van Gelder Studios. Ray is a full-time faculty member of the jazz program at The City College of NY in Harlem and the Vermont Jazz Center’s summer workshops and has taught at Juilliard and The New School.
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