"Bloom's flute sings Duke's often sophisticated melodies with infectious brio."
- George Kanzler, The New York City Jazz Record
"A fine partnership, one that brings some serious spark to these tunes." (AllAboutJazz.com)
"Amazing versatility...Bloom's solos on flute and amplified flute are always highlights of a performance." - ArtsFuse
“Funkhouser is masterful…maintaining a delicate balance of power and agility with an instinctive musical sense.” - AllAboutJazz.com
“A dream list of fabulous vehicles for short composition and improv segments, miniatures that ring out with the exceptional evergreen brilliance of the works and at the same time give us a chance to appreciate the high musicianship of the duo.”
- Gapplegate Music Review
Bloom/Funkhouser CD: Exuberant Ellingtonia: Flute & Piano Sessions
www.noteworthysheetmusic.com/cds/cd-exuberant-ellingtonia-flute-piano-sessions/
"Fourteen of Duke Ellington's greatest classics played as a piano-flute duo…. It is daring, we will say.
It took two master musicians to attempt and succeed in the challenge.
- Jean Buzelin, CultureJazz.Fr,
"Although the enormous quantity of Duke Ellington tributes recorded over the years is probably far too large to count, those involving flute and piano duos are a much rarer find. So it is a welcome occurrence that flautist Peter H Bloom and pianist John Funkhouser, two prominent veterans of the Boston jazz scene, have recorded just that: a thoughtfully curated, well-played collection of time-tested gems from the Ellington songbook which is perfect in highlighting the musicality and emotional potency of the master's corpus."
– Troy Dostert, AllAboutJazz.com
“The boisterous 'Rockin' in Rhythm' initiates the release, a freewheeling Bloom leading the charge and Funkhouser with him note for note…. Immediately thereafter, the first of many exquisite ballad treatments appears, 'In a Sentimental Mood,' with the flutist giving vibrato-rich voice to the writing and his partner distinguishing the performance with a blues-drenched solo. At such moments, it's eminently clear that Duke's in excellent hands.” - Ron Schepper, Textura Magazine, Ontario
- George Kanzler, The New York City Jazz Record
"A fine partnership, one that brings some serious spark to these tunes." (AllAboutJazz.com)
"Amazing versatility...Bloom's solos on flute and amplified flute are always highlights of a performance." - ArtsFuse
“Funkhouser is masterful…maintaining a delicate balance of power and agility with an instinctive musical sense.” - AllAboutJazz.com
“A dream list of fabulous vehicles for short composition and improv segments, miniatures that ring out with the exceptional evergreen brilliance of the works and at the same time give us a chance to appreciate the high musicianship of the duo.”
- Gapplegate Music Review
Bloom/Funkhouser CD: Exuberant Ellingtonia: Flute & Piano Sessions
www.noteworthysheetmusic.com/cds/cd-exuberant-ellingtonia-flute-piano-sessions/
"Fourteen of Duke Ellington's greatest classics played as a piano-flute duo…. It is daring, we will say.
It took two master musicians to attempt and succeed in the challenge.
- Jean Buzelin, CultureJazz.Fr,
"Although the enormous quantity of Duke Ellington tributes recorded over the years is probably far too large to count, those involving flute and piano duos are a much rarer find. So it is a welcome occurrence that flautist Peter H Bloom and pianist John Funkhouser, two prominent veterans of the Boston jazz scene, have recorded just that: a thoughtfully curated, well-played collection of time-tested gems from the Ellington songbook which is perfect in highlighting the musicality and emotional potency of the master's corpus."
– Troy Dostert, AllAboutJazz.com
“The boisterous 'Rockin' in Rhythm' initiates the release, a freewheeling Bloom leading the charge and Funkhouser with him note for note…. Immediately thereafter, the first of many exquisite ballad treatments appears, 'In a Sentimental Mood,' with the flutist giving vibrato-rich voice to the writing and his partner distinguishing the performance with a blues-drenched solo. At such moments, it's eminently clear that Duke's in excellent hands.” - Ron Schepper, Textura Magazine, Ontario
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Flutist Peter H. Bloom and pianist John Funkhouser have performed together for 30 years. Shows range from jazz standards, blues, ballads and bebop to pan-Latin soundscapes and free improvisation. Bloom and Funkhouser are veterans of the internationally acclaimed Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, and each has impressive credentials performing nationally and internationally. They play with style and verve.
Bloom/Funkhouser Duo – I Let a Song Go Out by Duke Ellington
Bloom/Funkhouser Duo -The Blues Walk by Clifford Brown
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Bloom/Funkhouser Duo - Caravan by Juan Tizol/Duke Ellington
Bloom/Funkhouser Duo – Isfahan by Billy Strayhorn
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Flutist Peter H. Bloom concertizes in North America, Europe, and the Far East; is featured on 49 recordings; is contributing editor for Noteworthy Sheet Music; and is a winner of the American Musicological Society’s Noah Greenberg Award. A 47-year veteran with The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, he has shared the stage with Sheila Jordan, Jaki Byard, Geri Allen, Ricky Ford, Charles Neville, and other jazz luminaries, and he’s led his own jazz groups for decades. He's performed with noted classical artists Ensemble Aubade, Ensemble Chaconne, Grammy-nominee D’Anna Fortunato, Henning Ensemble, others. Bloom has performed in London, Bangkok, Canberra, Ottawa, and other world capitals, and in hundreds of cities across 40 states and four continents. He has given lectures and clinics across the globe. His playing has been called “a revelation for unforced sweetness and strength” (The Boston Globe), “brightly gorgeous” (Gapplegate Music Review), “breathtaking” (Ivan Rod Review, Denmark), and “wonderfully smoky and mysterious” (EarRelevant). He’s been praised for “exquisite melody…the improvisations growing organically out of the theme (Jazz Improv).
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A native of the Boston area, pianist, bassist, composer and educator John Funkhouser has shared the stage with such notables as Joe Lovano, Steve Gadd, Bobby Watson, Esperanza Spalding, Luciana Souza, Tierney Sutton, Francisco Mela, and Rudresh Mahanthappa. He appears on over 80 CD and video recordings, including five CDs and two video projects as leader. 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 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 2001-2021. 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.”
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Edgecombe Performance Series, NC
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Brubeck Room, Wilton Library CT
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Brookhaven Performing Arts Center, MA
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Bloom and Funkhouser play as a trio with bassist Dave Zox. Dave has been performing and teaching throughout New England since 1980. He has performed in concert with internationally renowned musicians such as John Abercrombie, Garrison Fewell, Sheila Jordan, Jim McNeely, Kenny Werner, and Phil Woods, and also played with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Artie Shaw Band, Herb Reed and the Platters, and other illustrious groups. As well, he performs chamber music for the First Parish Church in Concord MA. Dave Zox performed for many years in the Boston area with the Al Vega Trio, pianists Ray Santisi and Harvey Diamond and many others. He serves on the faculties of Northeastern University, Phillips Academy in Andover, MA and Ipswich Public Schools. He earned a master’s degree in Jazz Studies from New England Conservatory.
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Photos: Erlyn Ordinario, Heloise Tanglewood, courtesy John Funkhouser, Dave Zox.