Nancy King (jazz singer)
Nancy King | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 15, 1940 |
| Origin | Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Died | August 5, 2025 (aged 85) |
| Genres | Bebop, vocal jazz |
| Occupation | Vocalist |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1959–20?? |
| Website | Official website |
Nancy King (June 15, 1940 – August 5, 2025) was an American jazz singer from Portland, Oregon.[1] Known for her masterful scatting and elastic range, King performed on worldwide tours and recordings, as well as collaborations with such artists as Jon Hendricks, Vince Guaraldi, Ralph Towner, Dave Friesen, and others.[2]
King started gigging in 1959 with fellow University of Oregon music students. After moving to San Francisco in 1960, her accomplished Scat singing landed her many gigs with various bebop artists.[3]
In 2004, King recorded her live album Live at Jazz Standard with pianist Fred Hersch.[4]
King died August 5, 2025, at the age of 85.[5]
Discography
- First Date, with Steve Wolfe (Inner City, 1978)
- Impending Bloom, with Glen Moore (Justice, 1991)
- Potato Radio, with Glen Moore (Justice, 1992)
- Cliff Dance, with Glen Moore (Justice, 1993)
- Straight into Your Heart, with Steve Christofferson and the Metropole Orchestra (Mons, 1996)
- King on the Road (Cardas, 1999)
- Moonray (Philology, 1999)
- Dream Lands Vol. 1, with Steve Christofferson (Stellar!, 2000)
- Dream Lands Vol. 2, with Steve Christofferson (Stellar!, 2002)
- Live at the Jazz Standard, with Fred Hersch (Maxjazz, 2006)
- Perennial (Ornry Diva, 2011)
Guest appearances
With Karrin Allyson
- Footprints (Concord Jazz, 2006)
With Ray Brown
- Christmas Songs with the Ray Brown Trio (Telarc, 1999)
- Some of My Best Friends Are Singers (Telarc, 1998)
With Roy Nathanson
- Fire at Keaton's Bar and Grill (Six Degrees, 2000)
With Oregon
- 45th Parallel (Portrait, 1989)
References
- ^ Darroch, Lynn. "Nancy King (1940-2025)". The Oregon Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
- ^ University of North Texas. "UNT Jazz Singers to perform with distinguished jazz vocalist Nancy King". University of North Texas. Archived from the original on September 12, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- ^ Stanford Jazz Texas. "Jazz Nancy King gaining status" (PDF). Stanford Jazz. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- ^ Live at Jazz Standard at AllMusic
- ^ D'Antoni, Tom (August 5, 2025). "When Ella Fitzgerald met Nancy King in a dream". OregonMusicNews.com. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
External links
- Nancy King discography at Discogs