The Campbell University Artist Performance Series will host the acclaimed jazz duo of flautist Peter H. Bloom and pianist John Funkhouser at 8 p.m. on Sept. 20 at Scott Concert Hall on main campus.
The concert will celebrate the duo’s CD, Exuberant Ellingtonia, with gems by Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Juan Tizol and Mercer Ellington. Among the many selections are Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, Caravan, I’m Beginning to See the Light, In a Sentimental Mood and Jump for Joy.
Praised for “style and brio … verve and sophistication,” the duo will bring “virtuosity and inventiveness” to beloved classics like Take the A Train, Things Ain’t What They Used To Be, Prelude to a Kiss and Strayhorn’s lush ballad Chelsea Bridge. Exuberant Ellingtonia has been called “a treasure trove” by Textura Magazine and “one of those albums that we know are unique jewels” (Jazz, ese ruido, Spain).
Bloom and Funkhouser have performed together for almost 30 years. Both are veterans of the legendary Aardvark Jazz Orchestra (50th season, “one of the best jazz ensembles in the world” – Jazz Podium, Germany). Each of them has impressive credentials performing nationally and internationally.
Peter H. Bloom performs in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Australia, and appears on 48 CDs. Acclaimed for virtuosity and versatility, he performs widely with both classical and jazz ensembles. He has shared the stage with Charles Neville, Sheila Jordan, Geri Allen, Ricky Ford, Jaki Byard and other jazz greats. He is contributing editor for Noteworthy Sheet Music and is a winner of the American Musicological Society’s Noah Greenberg Award. Jazz Improv praised his “exquisite melody…the improvisations growing organically out of the theme,” while ArtsFuse wrote, “Bloom’s solos on flute and amplified flute are always highlights of a performance.”
John Funkhouser has appeared with notables like Luciana Souza, Tierney Sutton, Ran Blake, Herb Pomeroy, Laszlo Gardony, Stan Strickland and piano savant Matt Savage. Hailed for “a unique and engaging sound” (North Denver Tribune), he has performed at Birdland, Blue Note, Dizzy’s in New York, the Kennedy Center, and in top venues from Kansas City, New Orleans and Chicago to Paris, Singapore, and Hong Kong. He taught at Berklee College of Music from 2001 to 2021. “Funkhouser is masterful…maintaining a delicate balance of power and agility with an instinctive musical sense.” (AllAboutJazz.com)
For more information, call (910) 893-1502.