Portland jazz legend Nancy King dies at 85 after ‘absolutely magical’ music career

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A Portland jazz legend has died at the age of 85.

Nancy King was known the world over, praised for her voice and her improvisational skills on stage.

Words like “treasure” and “unique talent” are often spoken by those who knew King.

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“Nancy King, to many, was perhaps the best jazz vocalist to ever live. And she just so happened to live in Portland, Oregon,” said Portland State University Jazz Professor Sherry Alves.

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Alves knew King well, having interviewed King many times for her doctoral dissertation.

A Grammy nominee, King grew up outside Springfield, started her career at the University of Oregon and said she was asked to leave because of her civil rights activism in the 1960s.

She was known for her ability to “scat,” an improvisational vocal style in bebop and jazz.

She was also known for her signature rose-colored glasses.

“She was absolutely magical as a musician and a person. And it’s kind of hard to describe a person who can move so many people in so many ways,” Alves said.

Alves said King could “sing circles around any song,” including well-known standards that she would make her own.

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Over her career, sheperformed with other jazz legends, including Pharoah Sanders and Miles Davis.

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