Nancy King and Steve Christofferson at The Cellar this weekend

Nancy King hates to talk. At least about the old questions -- like, why sing? Why jazz? She's just been doing it for so long she says she can't really answer those anymore. But once you get her started on something she’s interested in – KaPOW! verbs, voices and sounds spill out and it’s hard to keep up. The relentlessly inventive improvising she and duo partner Steve Christofferson bring to the Cellar Friday and Saturday infuses their lives. And they’re excited about being back in Canada and especially Vancouver. “We’ve been working on a bunch of new material and just love being able to come up here and see all our friends,” says King. Like their collaboration as a duo that’s lasted almost 30 years, those friendships run deep. King and Christofferson have long been mentors to a growing list of Vancouver Jazz singers who want to tap into the emotional power they harness. Is there still a market for such unabashedly emotional content? “Yes, more than ever,” says King, “people are looking for some certainty with all the things are going on and all the troubles they have. And they really respond to this music that comes from the heart. We hear all the time that this is what’s important to them.” At 67, King may well be the greatest living Jazz singer most people have never heard of. But with support from people like Kurt Elling and Karrin Allyson that’s changing and King is increasingly back on the road, playing places like the Jazz Standard and Lincoln Center. If you haven’t heard her yet, now’s the time. King and Christofferson play the Cellar Frday and Saturday, two sets a night, in what is becoming an annual event inspired and organized by Vancouver diva Kate Hammett-Vaughn. [Submitted by Gary MacDonald] Nancy King web site