Michalangela performs at Bucer's during her CD release debut on Friday. Tyler Macy/Argonaut

Homegrown talents always return to their roots at some point.
For jazz singer Michalangela, that point was Friday at Bucer’s Coffeehouse Pub. Michalangela, whose real name is Michal Wilson, grew up in Moscow and graduated from the University of Idaho in 2006.

Since then she’s moved to Portland and become the treasurer of a label she helped create, Blue Whisper Records. She said the label helped her “get off the ground as an artist.”
Part of that included the debut of her first album, “Portland Rain,” an 11-track release that includes jazz standards, original compositions, rhythm and blues and even a country track.

“The CD was coming together, and it was perfect timing,” Wilson said of her release party at Bucer’s.
Pat Greenfield, owner of Bucer’s, tells a slightly different story. Using the contact list on her phone, she accidentally dialed Wilson’s name. When she discovered what Wilson was working on musically, and her upcoming album, she requested Wilson make a performance stop at her establishment.

“I was really thrilled that I stumbled across how wonderful things are going for her,” Greenfield said. “She’s got a real following around here.”
That seemed apparent with the crowd packing the front room where Wilson was performing. Mixing smooth vocals with a classic jazz sound, Wilson showed true skill with both standard pieces and the ones she’d crafted. Able to toss off words in rapid-fire succession, Wilson contrasted that with the sultry tones of “Black Coffee,” which she dedicated to Bucer’s.

“I love her voice,” said Tami Storm, who was the first to purchase the new album. “It is so smooth and mellow. There’s a strength in it.”
That strength showed through on the title track, “Portland Rain,” one of Wilson’s compositions that states: “I am stuck here with my soggy feet / the Portland rain has had its way with me / why do I have to tolerate this weather?”

“I love to, when I’m writing, to listen to so much music that my music is a combination of these,” Wilson said. “Whatever I hear and whatever I love comes through.”
Wilson will be holding another release party Oct. 18 at The Cave, a jazz club in Portland. She said she hopes to sell the album through the iTunes service soon. In the meantime, the album will be selling at Bucer’s as a small piece of Wilson staying in the town where she first started singing.

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