(NORTH ADAMS, Mass.) – Emily King, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter whose soulful mix of blues, R&B, and light rock has made her a fixture on the New York City music scene for the past several years, comes to MASS MoCA for an Alt Cabaret performance on Saturday, April 14, 2012, at 8 p.m.

King’s music is anchored by tightly crafted and sophisticated compositions that are reminiscent of songwriters from the 1970s like Stevie Wonder, Minnie Riperton and Phoebe Snow. Her soft, jazzy vocal style and organic soulful songwriting recall Norah Jones and Corinne Bailey Rae..

Born in New York in 1985, King grew up in a small apartment on the Lower East Side. Music was a huge part of her upbringing – her parents were a jazz vocal duo who performed often as Kim and Marion. Accompanying her parents to most of their shows, King was inspired to pursue music herself. When she was sixteen, she left school to pursue her music career, playing shows in various restaurants and venues around the city – including popular venues such as CBGB and The Bitter End. By 2004, King was signed by the legendary Clive Davis to a record deal with J Records/Sony Music and began to work toward the release of her first album, East Side Story, which came out in 2007 and was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the Grammy Awards.

King toured with John Legend and Floetry, and opened for various artists such as Nas, Alicia Keys, Chaka Khan, and Erykah Badu, among others. She continues to write and record songs independently, most recently releasing her EP Seven last summer. On the heels of that success, King joined Maroon 5 on the European/Scandinavian leg of their tour in late 2011.

Cabaret-goers are invited to come early to attend the opening reception for Invisible Cities in the galleries. The exhibition features the work of ten international artists who re-imagine cities both familiar and fantastic. Members are admitted free to the reception. Tickets for not-yet-members are $8.

Emily King’s performance is part of MASS MoCA’s Alt Cabaret series which presents emerging and established artists in different disciplines in Club B-10, with drinks from the MASS MoCA bar and dinner from Lickety Split available before and during the show. The next live event in the series is Christine Ohlman and Rebel Montez on April 21.

Emily King will perform at MASS MoCA on Saturday, April 14 at 8 PM in MASS MoCA’s Club B-10. Tickets for the show are $12 in advance, $16 day of, and $10 for students. MASS MoCA members receive a 10% discount. Tickets are available through the MASS MoCA Box Office located off Marshall Street in North Adams, open from 11 AM to 5 PM, closed Tuesdays. Tickets can also be charged via phone by calling 413.664.4481 during Box Office hours, or purchased online at MASS MoCA.