Angela Wrigley Debuts New Album 'You Don't Know What Love Is' Today

Today marks the release of You Don't Know What Love Is, the debut album from vocalist and composer Angela Wrigley and trio. Presenting a diverse program that transcends the jazz genre, Angela's stunning vocal performance is matched only by the exquisite interplay of her A-list band. The Angela Wrigley Trio is made up of three musical cohorts and friends:

Angela Wrigley on vocals, piano and rhodes; Derek Stoll on bass, piano and organ; and Dave Lake on drums. Additionally, the album features stellar contributions from percussionist Bob Fenske, alto and tenor saxophonist Cory Weeds, trumpeter Vince Mai and trombonist Rod Murray. You Don't Know What Love Is is out now digitally via Cellar Music Group and will be available as a CD on July 2, 2021.

Drawing from jazz standards, rock hits and pop classics, the Angela Wrigley Trio has created a body of work that intricately describes the story of love and loss, hope and longing, and what it means to deeply and truly be "in love." Angela's own compositions describe these feelings with poignant accuracy, and with the dedication of her bandmates she delivers an emotional and heartfelt depiction of what it means to have loved deeply, and lost. Conceived and recorded safely during the turbulence of the past year, You Don't Know What Love Is, like the jazz artform itself, stands as a testament to dedication and innovation in the midst of great adversity.

You Don't Know What Love Is begins with an original composition by the bandleader. "How Did I Get Here" sets the tone for the remainder of this soulful release with sultry vocals from Wrigley and a Latin-tinged solo section featuring wonderful improvisation from Cory Weeds and Vince Mai. Wrigley notes, this track captures the feeling of "when you start to feel a little restless, a little resentful, ready for the next thing". The album continues with the Wrigley-penned "Crazy Fool", which is also the album's first single. The bandleader's passionate refrains soar over tightly-orchestrated rhythmic accents and jabs from the rhythm section creating a sensuous atmosphere befitting the lyrics of the piece.

The Angela Wrigley Trio brings a rhapsodic energy to their interpretations of songs made famous by a diverse group of performers such as Billie Holiday, Sade and even Incubus. Wrigley's adaptation of "Lover Man" adds a laid-back groove to the song made popular by Lady Day. Weeds takes a masterful solo over the form and tastefully accents the melody delivered by Ms. Wrigley. The artist notes "This song is a classic. It really captures the desperation of longing for someone." Following the theme of love and longing, Wrigley delivers a lovely, nuanced rendition of Hoagy Carmichael's "I Get Along Without You Very Well". Wrigley remarks that this track seems to resonate particularly well given the tremendous loss that many of us have experienced in the past year. Wrigley's melodic musings and Vince Mai's ' velvety muted-trumpet pair perfectly with the tongue-in-cheek innuendo of "Tiny Glasses", the luscious melody leads to the bright-tempoed swing of the solo section, featuring wonderful improvisation from Rod Murray and Vince Mai over the chord changes of the time-honored classic "All of Me".

Wrigley showcases the sheer power of her vocals with the album's closing track "You Know My Name". Popularized as the theme song to the 007 film "Casino Royale", Wrigley brings an air of mystery and playful intrigue to this energetic piece, concluding the release on a high. The album's moody bonus track (digital/streaming) "You Stepped Out of a Dream" features a neo-soul infused arrangement of the popular standard. An ambient soundfield erupts into a dramatic and textural statement of the melody from Wrigley, paired with the light samba of the tune's bridge and concluding with improvisation transitioning back to ambience.

The album's producers, Scott Morin and Cory Weeds, are two of Canada's best known jazz impresarios having produced a combined 5 Juno Award winning albums for 'Best Jazz Album.' Marking two decades of exceptional live recordings and stellar studio sessions (over 225 recordings) under the tenure of Cellar Music Group, 2021 sees the first-ever collaboration between label founder Cory Weeds and A&R/Marketing Manager Scott Morin as album producers with You Don't Know What Love Is. Morin remarks "I've known Cory for over 25 years, since he beat me in an audition to be the saxophone player in a popular Vancouver funk band. Since then, we've toured the continent together with Paul Anka, and worked on dozens of albums in various roles, but this is the first time we have produced an album together. Despite the challenges that come with Covid-19, it was an absolute joy working with him on Angela and her Trio's debut."

With deeply personal interpretations of classic songs that have resonated with the bandleader throughout her upbringing and up until the present, You Don't Know What Love Is walks listeners through a retrospective of Wrigley and her trio's musical journey. The album's eleven tracks document the resilience and resolve of three tremendous players who stayed the course and gathered together - when physically gathering in general became impossible - to create a work of beauty, honesty and soul.

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