Events Bloom-Funkhouser Duo for Bookstock

In honor of Bookstock and the theme of sharing many voices, Artistree presents a live concert with the internationally acclaimed Bloom/Funkhouser Duo (Peter H. Bloom, flute and John Funkhouser, piano), Celebrating Great Poets of the Great American Songbook. Audience members are invited to read the lyrics before each tune is played, and the musicians will respond with inventive musical interpretations – a fun and engaging way to experience the power of music and literature combined.

Hailed for “infectious brio” (The New York City Jazz Record) and called “master musicians” (CultureJazz.France), Peter and John will play a vibrant mix of up-tempo tunes and beguiling ballads, each piece notable for musical and literary panache. A few examples include: Sunny Side of the Street (lyrics by Dorothy Fields), It’s Only a Paper Moon (lyrics by Yip Harburg), Skylark (lyrics by Johnny Mercer), A Foggy Day in London Town (lyrics by Ira Gershwin), Georgia on My Mind (lyrics by Stuart Gorell), and Night and Day (music and lyrics by Cole Porter).

“Bloom and Funkhouser bring characteristic style and brio to their renditions…stirring and technically impressive.” (AllAboutJazz.com)

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)