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Nancy Walker wins Grand Prix de Jazz General Motors
Montreal, Sunday, July 6, 2003 - The Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, in collaboration with partner General Motors of Canada, event presenter for the fourth straight year, is pleased to award the Grand Prix de Jazz General Motors to Nancy Walker, the artist who most distinguished herself among the talented musicians entered in this year’s … jazz competition. As the 2003 recipient of the Grand Prix de Jazz General Motors, Nancy Walker wins:
Trio / Quartet / Duo / Solo Piano Nancy Walker and Friends deliver sophisticated, contemporary jazz, providing the perfect mood music for any occasion, drawing her musical influences from the Classic Jazz Tradition, from Swing to Bossa Nova to Bop and beyond. If the occasion requires an evening of tasteful Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and George Gershwin standards, if it’s an afternoon of wistful, romantic Jobim, or if it’s a fiery, pull-out-all-the-stops performance of original material, Nancy plays to the room, gearing her program to the needs of the engagement. Press reviews: Jazz pianist and composer Nancy Walker’s debut recording as leader, Invitation, was released in 1997. The CD, featuring tunes from the standard repertoire and five of her own compositions, garnered favorable reviews and received national airplay. Her second CD, Luminosity, was released in 2000. At year’s end, Toronto Star critic Geoff Chapman voted Luminosity one of the top jazz recordings of the year. Levitation (2003) is Ms. Walker’s third recording as leader – eight of the nine tunes are her original compositions. The release of Levitation, according to "The Toronto Star's" Geoff Chapman, “should vault Walker into Toronto’s elite circles.” “If you’ve been to the Ottawa International Jazz Festival jam sessions in the past two years, you know what to expect from Nancy Walker. The Toronto pianist has been a consistent treat, a smart and cheery player, teaming with piquant harmonies and flowing, well-phrased melodies… This disc … (Levitation), is warm and welcoming, which is to say it has Walker’s personality stamped all over it.” Ottawa Citizen Nancy Walker extends an invitation to the listener to enter her very unique world of pianistic journeys. Here is a joyous…approach to the keyboard… There are many influences swirling in her music; there is also this strong sense of self, a definite presence of Nancy Walker as a musical entity.” CODA Magazine
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