At a special event benefiting the 43rd Annual Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, the Jazz Society of Oregon will put the spotlight on three dynamic vocalists, all of whom have been inducted into the organization's Hall of Fame. Taking place at Alberta Abbey on Saturday June 10th, this get together will feature performances by singers Shirley Nanette, Nancy King, and Rebecca Kilgore, backed by a fantastic trio of local players that includes pianist Steve Christofferson, bassist Tom Wakeling, and drummer Charlie Doggett.
If you are a regular visitor to this website, or a member of the JSO, you are likely familiar with the women being celebrated at this concert, but for the uninitiated, all three have been fixtures of the global jazz community thanks to their phenomenal range and their ability to fully inhabit whatever song they are singing. Shirley Nanette (pictured here), a 2013 Hall of Fame inductee, has been singing since she was seven years old and her early goal was to train to be an opera singer. But as she developed her voice, she found a much more exciting world in the clubs and theaters around Portland in the ’60s and ’70s. She soon became a regular guest soloist with orchestras around the country, and dedicated herself to mentoring aspiring artists.
2001 Hall of Fame inductee Nancy King has been dubbed "the greatest living jazz singer" by no less than guitarist Herb Ellis. The hyperbole feels warranted when looking at the scope of her career and hearing her masterful improvisational skills. King been performing since the late ’50s, setting down creative roots in the Bay Area where she collaborated with fellow singer Jon Hendricks and pianist Vince Guaraldi. Her career has only blossomed since then via her work with regular accompanists Christofferson and bassist Glen Moore and her reuglar concert appearances around the world. As for 2010 HOF inductee Rebecca Kilgore, this singer is indefatigable. She has a growing catalog of recordings that finds her digging deep into the American Songbook for treasures and enjoying the creative give-and-take of working with a variety of instrumentalists.
Seeing just one of these fabulous performers in concert would be great enough, but lucky attendees will have the chance to hear all three on June 10th. The whole thing kicks off at 5 pm with a mixer that, for VIP ticketholders, includes a fabulous meal. The concert gets underway at 7 pm. Tickets are $25 for general admission or $40 for VIP tickets that include dinner. And again, proceeds for this benefit will go to support the 43rd annual Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, our annual weekend concert held in St. Johns that this year will also help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Jazz Society of Oregon. Click here to get your tickets today.
