Angela Verbrugge • In the Wonder of the Night

Canadian vocalist Angela Verbrugge is still a relatively new presence on the international jazz scene, but one whose commitment is no longer in question. Since releasing her debut album in 2019, she has issued four recordings, each reinforcing her dedication to classic jazz values and her growing confidence as both interpreter and lyricist. Her latest release, In the Wonder of the Night, continues that trajectory in a pared-down setting that places the focus squarely on song, lyric, and timing.

Recorded as a series of intimate voice and piano duets with New York pianist Ray Gallon, the album reflects a long standing musical association. Gallon appeared on Verbrugge’s debut The Night We Couldn’t Say Good Night, and has remained a constant collaborator throughout her recording career. In this exposed format, without a rhythm section to distribute responsibility, the music depends on mutual listening and shared time feel, an area where the pair is clearly comfortable.

The program consists of seven standards and five originals by Verbrugge, unified loosely by nocturnal and lunar imagery. An upbeat “S’posin’” opens the album, establishing a relaxed but alert rhythmic feel, while Cole Porter’s “It’s De-Lovely” provides a brief release of momentum later in the set. Less frequently heard material, including Porter’s “Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye,” subtly refreshed without disturbing its character, and Irving Berlin’s “Reaching for the Moon,” sits naturally alongside more familiar fare, like the album closer “Moonlight in Vermont.”

Verbrugge’s original songs are woven into the program rather than presented as stylistic departures. “Paradise Defined” offers a gently reflective, bossa-tinged meditation, while “I’m A Cliché” examines uncertainty with self-awareness rather than melodrama. The lightly comic “I’m 99% Sure of You,” co-written with fellow Canadian Caity Gyorgy, fits seamlessly alongside the standards, reinforcing Verbrugge’s identity as a songwriter working within the idiom. Without breaking the album’s prevailing sentiment, she brings out the humor in period material and creates her own in the originals. Something easily observed in her song choices during live performance. She is having a good time and invites the listener to join her.

Stylistically, Verbrugge operates squarely within the swing-era and cool-school vocal tradition, favoring clarity of diction, measured phrasing, and restraint over overt theatrical display. She approaches the material as a musician, a voice within the accompaniment, a quality that serves her particularly well in this duo setting. Gallon’s piano work remains consistently responsive and harmonically alert, supporting the singer without calling undue attention to itself.

Born in Kingston, Ontario, and now based on Vancouver Island, Verbrugge came to jazz through a combination of early musical training and formal acting studies. She studied classical piano, theory, and trombone in her youth and later trained as an actor at George Brown College in Toronto before returning to music in earnest. Since her 2019 debut, she has built an international profile through recordings, festival appearances, and tours across Europe and Asia, including performances in Japan as part of Canadian cultural exchange initiatives. Her work has drawn repeated notice from major jazz publications, and her albums have appeared regularly on year end lists. Scott Yanow placed her debut among his top thirty albums of the year; he also wrote the liner notes for In the Wonder of the Night, which explains his absence from review pages this time around.

In the Wonder of the Night succeeds on its own terms as a carefully shaped, musically grounded album. It confirms Verbrugge’s seriousness of purpose and her place among contemporary singers committed to tradition through craft rather than gesture. The album can be streamed everywhere, or downloaded from her website at angelasjazz.com.

In the Wonder of the Night
Angela Verbrugge
angelasjazz.com