Photo Credit: W Stephen Cooper
Pianist and composer Nancy Walker has been recognized with honours Canada-wide, including the Montréal Jazz Festival’s Grand Prix de Jazz, the National Jazz Awards Keyboardist Of The Year Award, a JUNO nomination for Instrumental Album Of The Year, an induction into the Mississauga
Music Walk Of Fame. and presents her take on modern instrumental jazz. A dynamic improviser, an artful composer and a responsive accompanist, Nancy has been praised both for her work as a solo
artist and as a musical collaborator. As a side player she can be heard on a wide range of recordings, by artists from saxophonist Kirk MacDonald to vocalist Emilie-Claire Barlow to children’s entertainer Raffi. More recently she can be heard on the 2024 recording Here’s To Life by John Neudorf (on which she was both pianist and co-producer), and Sarah Jerrom’s 2025 JUNO-nominated Magpie.
Nancy has several discs to her credit as leader. This engagement at The Jazz Room celebrates the release of her most recent recording Deeper Down, featuring Nancy as pianist and composer, with Tara Davidson (saxophones), Lauren Falls (bass) and Ethan Ardelli (drums). Her compositions reflect her view of the age we live in – at times intense, at times poignant, at times cerebral. Her inspirations include architecture, cinema, literature, visual art and nature.
“Nancy Walker has played enough piano to know how to keep listeners
interested however hard she pushes the boundaries of familiarity.” Geoff
Chapman, Toronto Star
“A fine example of the modern jazz musician’s art.” Mark Miller, The Globe
and Mail
Personnel:
Nancy Walker-piano
Tara Davidson-saxophones
Lauren Falls-bass
Ethan Ardelli-drums
Check out: “Reckoning” “The Monarch” “Nancy’s Website”
