The Greatest Love Songs of the 30s to 50s: Vibraphone and Vocal Jazz - Char's Landing, Port Alberni

Traditional pop and jazz of the late 1930s and 1950s introduced some of the most sweet and swingin, passionate and memorable love songs the world had ever heard. After the prim and proper 1900s, melodically simple 1910s, but before the schlocky 70s and 80s pop acts - these are the songs of heartfelt true love, performed by Angela Verbrugge Quartet featuring Port Alberni born acclaimed jazz drummer Graham Villette, Cellar recording artist Craig Scott, and multi-talented Nanaimo bassist/guitarist Kosma Busheikin

The quartet will perform songs popularized by Andy Williams/Frank Sinatra (More Than The Greatest Love), Linda Ronstadt/Julie London (I've Got a Crush On You by Gershwin), Nat King Cole (I Love You For Sentimental Reasons), Dinah Washington/Billie Holliday (There is No Greater Love), Chet Baker (This Isn't Sometimes) and Doris Day (Secret Love).

Angela, who relocated to Victoria in 2019, will be touring this collection of songs to the premiere venues in Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Comox, Toronto and Port Alberni.

Entrance by suggested gratuity of $20+ at the door. The quartet is supported entirely by your generosity. A full bar with a variety of beer, wine and mixed drinks and non-alcoholic drinks are available for purchase. You are welcome to bring your own snacks, but kindly take home any packaging.

Angela Verbrugge was nominated for Jazz Artist of the Year at the 2024 Western Canadian Music Awards. In 2025, All About Jazz announced she had topped their Reader Poll for Favourite Living Jazz Vocalist thanks to the support of her enthusiastic fanbase. She "possesses a winsome, brightly-burnished, pliable voice, ample emotional intelligence, and conspicuously good taste," according to JazzTimes, 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 acclaimed music historian and authour Will Friedwald added the liner notes. Angela has appeared at top jazz clubs internationally in the UK, Germany, France, Japan, Taiwan, Luxembourg, Turkiye and coast to coast in Canada (in ten provinces, playing in St John’s Newfoundland to Tofino). Born in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Angela was one of the youngest graduates of the acclaimed acting program at George Brown College, Toronto.

Craig Scott
Vibraphone, based in Chilliwack
Craig Scott is an accomplished drummer, and vibraphone player. His drummng credits include concert and club dates with such Canadian jazz luminaries as Tommy Banks as well as international artists such as Randy Bachmann, Pat LaBarbara, Phil Woods, Allen Vizzutti, Chuck Israels, Frank Wes, Ernestine Anderson, Diana Krall, Herb Ellis, Clark Terry, Larry Goldings, the HI-LOS, Dee Daniels, The Nylons, Joan Rivers, Don Rickles, Ashley McIsaac, Natalie McMaster and the late Harry "Sweets" Edison, Rosemary Clooney, Bud Shank, and Charlie Byrd. Craig has extensive recording experience in television, film, radio and video games. As a session player, he has played on countless local independent jazz albums and has played drums on the video game Monsters Inc., and on the music software Band-In-A-Box. Craig is featured on two Ian McDougall albums, which were both nominated for JUNO Awards.
Craig holds a B.Ed and B.Mus from UBC, and teaches at Vancouver Community College and Capilano University.

Kosma Busheikin
Bass, Guitar (Nanaimo)
Born in the Czech Republic, Kosma moved with his parents to the small island of Denman when he was two years old. When he was 16 he decided to take guitar lessons with local singer-songwriter Kevin Mitchell. After completing his degree at VIU Kosma settled down in Nanaimo and began working regularly across the island and lower mainland. Some notable venues that Kosma has played at are Hermanns jazz club, Frankie's, the Port Theatre, Tofino Jazz festival, and the Hornby Island Music Festival. Some notable people he has played with include Brad Turner, Cory Weeds, John Lee, Ryan Oliver, Steve Kaldestad and Miles Black.

Graham Villette earned a Masters’ Degree in Jazz Performance from The University of Toronto after completing a BA in Jazz Studies at Vancouver Island University in 2017. Having grown up on Vancouver Island, Graham is an active member of the music community frequently performing at leading venues such as Hermann’s and Frankie’s. He is a founding member of the John Lee Trio.


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Category: Community | Local / Community | Holidays

Price:
Entrance by gratuity to the band: CAD 20.00

Artists / Speakers: Angela Verbrugge, Graham Villette, Craig Scott, Kosma Busheikin