Bloom/Funkhouser Duo to Salute Duke Ellington at CU-Bloomsburg
Bloomsburg, PA (09/05/2025) — Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg will host a performance by Peter H. Bloom, flute, and John Funkhouser, piano, who will celebrate Duke Ellington and his co-composers Billy Strayhorn, Juan Tizol, and Mercer Ellington, on Friday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. in Carver Hall, K.S. Gross Auditorium.
Praised for "swinging performances" (Textura Magazine, Ontario) and called "master musicians" (CultureJazz.France), the Bloom/Funkhouser Duo brings virtuosity and inventiveness to wide-ranging treasures, from Ellington's high-octane Cottontail to Juan Tizol's exotic Caravan, to Strayhorn's evocative ballad Isfahan, and Mercer Ellington's iconic blues number, Things Ain't What They Used To Be. The duo's CD, Exuberant Ellingtonia (Americas Musicworks), has been called "breathtaking" (Ivan Rod Review, Denmark) and "one of those albums that we know are unique jewels" (Jazz, ese ruido, Spain).
Bloom and Funkhouser have performed together for 30 years in festivals, clubs, concert halls, museums, churches, colleges and universities, and other venues. Each of them has impressive credentials, performing nationally and internationally.
Flutist Peter H. Bloom has shared the stage with jazz luminaries Sheila Jordan, Charles Neville, Ricky Ford, Geri Allen, Jaki Byard, Jimmy Giuffre, Jay Clayton, and others. He performs in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, New Zealand, and Australia, and is featured on 49 CDs. Bloom has led his own groups for decades and is a 47-year veteran with the legendary The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra. A winner of the American Musicological Society's Noah Greenberg Award, he is acclaimed as both a jazz and classical artist. He's played in London, Bangkok, Lisbon, Canberra, Ottawa, and other world capitals, and in hundreds of cities across 40 states and four continents. He has given lectures across the globe and is a contributing editor for Noteworthy Sheet Music. Bloom's playing has been called "wonderfully smoky and mysterious" (EarRelevant) and "a revelation for unforced sweetness and strength" (The Boston Globe). JazzImprov hailed his "exquisite melodythe improvisations growing organically out of the theme," while ArtsFuse wrote, "his solos on flute and amplified flute are always highlights of a performance."
Pianist John Funkhouser has performed with notable artists such as Joe Lovano, Yoron Israel, Steve Gadd, Bobby Watson, Esperanza Spalding, Luciana Souza, Tierney Sutton, Francisco Mela, and Rudresh Mahanthappa. He appears on over 80 CDs and video recordings. He has performed at clubs and festivals all over the world, including Blue Note, Birdland, and Dizzy's in New York City; New Orleans Jazz Festival; The Kennedy Center; and the Toulon Jazz Festival. He has toured extensively in North and Central America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and South Africa. He has appeared on ABC's "20/20," NBC's "Today Show," and National Public Radio. Funkhouser taught at Berklee College of Music from 2001 to 2021. He has been hailed for "a unique and engaging jazz sound" (North Denver Tribune), while AllAboutJazz.com praised his "inner sense of musical exploration and innovation. Funkhouser is masterful, maintaining a delicate balance of power and agility with an instinctive musical sense."
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