Notable Venues:

Blue Llama Jazz Club in Ann Arbor, MI

Lucille’s Jazz Lounge in Toledo, OH

Cliff Bell’s in Detroit, MI
Aretha’s Jazz Cafe at Music Hall in Detroit, MI

Michigan Jazz Festival 2021 & 2022 at Schoolcraft College, Livonia, MI

Columbus Jazz & Ribs Festival 2022 in Columbus, OH

Lansing Jazz Festival 2022 in Lansing, MI

Con Alma Jazz Club in Pittsburgh, PA

Merriman’s Playhouse in Southbend, IN

Natalie’s in Columbus, OH

Ginger Rabbit Jazz Club in Columbus, OH

Saline Jazz Fest in Saline, MI

Articles:

Jazz Weekly Article “LADIES SING THE BLUES AND BEYOND…Olivia Van Goor: Don’t Be Mad At Me” by George W. Harris Read Here!

“Olivia Van Goor sings of flora, fondess, and food on debut EP, ‘When The Shadows Fall’” by Maggie Cocco Read Here!

“OUT OF THE "SHADOWS": JAZZ VOCALIST OLIVIA VAN GOOR EXPLORES LESSER-KNOWN SONGS ON HER DEBUT EP AND RETURNS TO BLUE LLAMA” by Lori Stratton Read Here!

REVIEWS:

Linda Yohn / “Don’t Be Mad At Me” Review 2023

From “Over The Rainbow” to “Almost Like Being Love”, you’ll be overjoyed with “Don’t Be Mad At Me”,  a brand-new offering from Michigan-based vocalist Olivia Van Goor.  She describes herself as a young singer with an old soul.  I describe her as a songstress and entertainer of immense potential.  This 7 song EP barely scratches the surface of her possibilities. 

 After Judy Garland’s version of “Over The Rainbow”, can you imagine taking it on?  Olivia musters the confidence to swing it fluidly.  Her phrasing is natural and sincere.  She negotiates the tune’s tricky intervals with ease.  You immediately realize the woman has great ears and that she senses a thing or two about emotions and longing.

 Shulie-A-Bop is another courageous choice.  Sarah Vaughan owned it until now.  Oliva swings it with confidence and clarity.  Drummer David Zwolinski handles his part with equal confidence and commitment – after all the first drummer was Roy Haynes!  A splendid jazz romp.

 Sweetness – delicious easy swing.  This original has classic jazz radio hit potential.  Olivia sings delightfully behind the beat, letting her creative, descriptive words melt in her mouth and into your ears.  Adam Mosley’s piano flourishes are the icing on the tasty cake.

 I Can Tell – honesty rules here.  Olivia admits basic truths of the lover and the beloved.  She crafted a plaintive original melody and sensitive counterpoint/conversation from trumpeter Josie Ala.  As an aside – this session will introduce the greater public to Olivia’s superb trio and guest soloists.  Don’t miss them!

 Nature Boy – the bass opening by Samuel Chase Harris lays the ground for this bluesy treatment of the classic with a mellow montuno piano fanfare from Adam Mosley.

 God Bless The Child – Olivia can sing this song.  Her old soul and years of paying dues in clubs, coffee houses, and cafés in the Midwest give her the right to make the lyric her own.  Tenor saxophonist James Hughes adds to the soulful blues potential.

 Almost Like Being In Love – The set closer is filled with bubbly, luscious scatting!  There’s tasty brushwork from David Zwolinski and upbeat, swinging harmony from alto saxophonist Sam Corey. 

 If your tastes run to tried and true singers with a solid swing feel such as Ernestine Anderson, Anita O’Day, Lorez Alexandria, Chris Connor, Dakota Staton, and June Christy, you’ve found their successor in Olivia Van Goor.  May you never be mad at Olivia Van Goor.  May she find a place in your heart.

-Linda Yohn hosts the "Swing Set" on 90.9, WRCJ-FM in Detroit and is a jazz activist with the Southeastern Michigan Jazz Association and Vincent York's Jazzistry.

OLIVIA VAN GOOR / ""When The Shadows Fall” (OVNCD) 2021

As promising a young jazz vocalist as we might have heard in recent years, she stands tall in her prowess as a singer, interpreter, scatter, and torch singing sweetheart. Her choice of material, interaction with her musicians especially pianist William Bennett, dedication to tradition and nod to her predecessors bodes well for her bright professional future. Blazing a trail from legends to local heroines like Betty Carter, Barbara Ware and Ursula Walker up to peer Emma Aboukasm, this five song EP only scratches the surface to her enormous potential. With hints of Anita O'Day, shadowing June Christy and Chris Connor, while buoyed on her own bravado or subtle romanticism, Olivia Van Goor at this point in her young career is certainly poised as the real deal.

Michael G. Nastos; Paradiso Dei Musicisti V.P., Hot House Magazine/NYC, WCBN 88.3 FM/wcbn.org, emeritus Michigan Jazz Festival BOD and SEMJA V.P., SEMJA Update contributor, and former columnist/contributor for Down Beat, Cadence, Coda, Jazz Journal International Magazines, Health Care News, The Alchemist, the Ann Arbor News and Detroit Free Press.

Radio Play & SPotify features

WRCJ-FM Detroit, “Swing Set” Hosted by Linda Yohn

WEMU Ypsilanti Jazz Radio Hosted by Michael Jewett

Spotify Official Playlists “Jazz X-Press” “Vocal Jazz”, and “Swinging Singing”

WOOC Troy, NY “Jazz Sanctuary” Hosted by Susan Brink

Olivia Van Goor is an award-winning jazz vocalist based in Detroit, Michigan, and a 2025 Michigan Music Awards “Rising Star” nominee. With a rich, distinctive sound shaped by some of the finest jazz musicians in the Midwest, she has released two acclaimed EPs, When the Shadows Fall (2021) and Don’t Be Mad At Me (2023), blending original material with early jazz, swing, blues and bebop influences. Her music has taken her on tour across major Midwest cities, and she continues to collaborate with top jazz artists, composing, arranging, and producing performances that enrich the contemporary jazz scene.

BIO:

Olivia Van Goor is an award-winning jazz vocalist based in Detroit, Michigan. Nominated as the 2025 “Rising Star” by the Michigan Music Awards, she is an emerging talent you won’t want to miss. Olivia has carved her own path, learning from some of the finest jazz musicians in the Midwest, and has cultivated a rich, distinctive sound as a result. Her hard work has yielded two EP’s, first “When the Shadows Fall” in 2021 and “Don’t Be Mad At Me” in August of 2023. Both recordings feature a mix of original material and standards that come from early jazz, swing, blues and bebop styles. These recordings have taken her to tour in surrounding major cities such as Ann Arbor, Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus, Southbend, Chicago, and Pittsburgh. She performs in a wide range of settings, from intimate duo performances to dynamic big band collaborations and everything in between. Recently, she took the stage with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra in December 2024 and is set to return for their Holiday Pops performance in December 2025. Additionally, she received “Best Vocalist” for the Preservation of Jazz Excellence Award in Detroit, many nominations by the Detroit Music Awards and recognition by many Michigan-based publications. Beyond recording, she has also composed, arranged, and produced performances, enriching the vibrant landscape of contemporary jazz music. She has collaborated with renowned musicians, including Detroit pianist Scott Gwinnell, two-time JUNO Award-winning vocalist Caity Gyorgy, and esteemed Ann Arbor bassist Paul Keller. Olivia continues to work with leading jazz artists across Michigan and the broader Midwest, sharing her passion for music and spreading joy through her artistry.

Social Media:

• Instagram: @oliviavangoormusic

• Youtube: www.youtube.com/oliviavangoor

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oliviavangoormusic

• Tik Tok: @oliviavangoormusic

CHILDHOOD BACKSTORY:

Olivia moved to Southeast Michigan in the winter of 2017 with her family, and fell in love with the Detroit music scene. She has performed at historic Detroit clubs such as Cliff Bell’s and Aretha’s Jazz Cafe at Music Hall, along with the Blue Llama Jazz Club in Ann Arbor. Rich with history and phenomenal world-class musicians, she has found a home where she continues to progress her craft.

Raised in Hudson, OH, Olivia learned how to play piano, sing in choirs, and eventually how to perform as a soloist. The love for music grew as she explored different avenues: choir, rock bands, and musical theatre. However, one outlet stood out against them all: jazz. In 2019, Olivia graduated from Denison University in Granville, OH with a bachelor’s degree in music & economics. She used that time to explore voice as her main instrument, learning from Dr. Stephanie Henkle and Dr. Carolyn Redman. She sang in the jazz ensembles under the instruction of saxophonist Pete Mills, and interned at Jazz Arts Group Columbus.