The Jazz & Oysters Lineup is:
Nancy King, Mary Kadderly, Dan Gaynor (piano), Dan Gildea (guitar), & Bill Athens (bass).

NANCY KING
She’s been called everything from a “Cult figure” and an “uncompromising artist,” (Earshot Jazz) to “the greatest living jazz singer,” (Herb Ellis). As one of the few improvisers in vocal jazz to master the vocabulary, Nancy King has “indefatigable scat chops and a remarkably elastic range” (The Oregonian).

Nancy appeared on the San Francisco jazz scene in the early 1960s, hailing from Springfield, Oregon. It was at the legendary Jazz Workshop that she met Sonny King, her future mate, and joined his band. They headlined Monday nights at the Workshop for two years. Others she worked with in San Francisco included Vince Guaraldi, John Handy, Sonny Donaldson, and Flip Nunez. Another major influence was meeting and studying with Jon Hendricks. The first recording to feature Nancy King was “First Date”, an outing with saxophonist Steve Wolfe on the Inner City label. Joining them in the studio were Ray Brown, Jack Sheldon, Frank Strazzeri and Nick Ceroli. The record’s release was celebrated at Michael’s Pub in New York City, where the great pianist Bill Evans stopped in to play a few tunes.

Nancy performed along the West Coast with pianist/composer Steve Christofferson beginning in 1978. In 1993 they released a duo album “Perennial”. During the mid-90’s Nancy and Steve were on the faculties of the Stanford University Jazz Workshop, Bud Shank’s Centrum Jazz Workshop and Jazz Camp West, and performed at festivals in France, the U.S., Israel and Canada. In 1997 Mons Records released “Straight Into Your Heart”, recorded in Holland and featuring Nancy and Steve with the fifty-one piece Metropole Orchestra.

In 1998 Nancy was reunited with Ray Brown on his CD “Some Of My Best Friends Are Singers” (Telarc) which also featured vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kevin Mahogany, Marlena Shaw, Etta Jones and Diana Krall. The recording peaked at #1 on the Gavin Jazz Chart in January 1999.

Nancy toured Italy with guitarist John Stowell in February ’99, and toured Europe with the Ray Brown Trio in March. In the summer of ’99 Nancy and Steve Christofferson played at the Telluride Festival in Colorado with Tom Wakeling, and then flew to Bulgaria to headline at the Bansko International Jazz Festival. She was also heavily featured on a recording by Portland-based pianist Randy Porter entitled "Modern Reflections."

In 2001 Nancy was inducted into the Oregon Jazz Society’s Hall of Fame.

Nancy King continues to inspire and entertain as only she can.

MARY KADDERLY
Jazz/Pop Singer and Songwriter Mary Kadderly brings to the stage a most distinctive voice. Born in Portland, Oregon, Mary was surrounded by music throughout her childhood. In her teens, she began performing, getting her start singing in a jazz and blues band. "The first time I sang into a microphone, the music bug bit me hard. From then on I was hooked," she says. At the age of 19, she started playing in hometown clubs, while studying Music and Theater Arts at Portland State University. Graduating in 1985, Kadderly was by then regularly performing in nightclubs, in concerts, and at festivals around the country.

DAN GILDEA
Guitarist Dan Gildea is one of the most in-demand musicians in the Portland area. Dan is one of the "cats" that is first call for recording work and has recorded with local luminaries such as Mel Brown, Stephanie Schneiderman, Mary Kadderly, Patrick Lamb, and many others. Dan keeps busy as a guitar instructor and performs with A New Groove, Mary Kadderly, Stephanie Schneiderman, and Louis Pain among others. Dan possesses an effervescent personality that belies the intensity that he brings to his craft.

DAN GAYNOR
At the tender age of 25 Dan Gaynor is one of Portland’s brightest young stars. Since graduating from PSU Dan has become one the Northwest’s most respected and busy pianists, working with players like Nancy King, Glen Moore, Bobby Torres, Barbara Lusch, Dan Schulte.

BILL ATHENS
Bassist and composer Bill Athens was born and raised in Appleton, WI. Shortly after his 22nd birthday he moved to Portland Oregon to continue playing and composing creative music. Bill has played and/or continues to play with many great artists including Mary Kadderly, Darrell Grant, Dan Balmer, Jerry Hahn, Randy Porter, Nancy King, The Dave Mills/Carlton Jackson Big Band, and many others. He also occupied the bass chair on the Queen of the West river boat. He holds a BM from Portland State University where he studied bass with Ken Baldwin, Jazz studies with Darrell Grant and composition with Bryan Johanson. Currently, The Paxselin Quartet and The Bill Athens Quartet are his main creative projects.