PORTLAND, Ore. — Nancy King, a beloved and talented jazz vocalist known across Oregon, has died at age 85.

Her passing was met with an outpouring of love and admiration from musicians and colleagues who worked closely with her over the decades.

Ron Steen, who first met King in the late 1960s, described her as a treasure.

“She's a one and only. There will never be another Nancy King in any way," said Steen.

King was praised for her improvisational skills and talent.

“She's just an incredible improviser who can sing circles around any song," said Portland State University jazz voice professor Sherry Alves.

Alves said arrangements of King's songs have been done at PSU with vocal groups, and King even performed with her students in the past. Alves is working on a dissertation about King

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