Join us for a unique virtual concert as part of our Better Through Books: Healing Community Together Community Read as we celebrate the jazz master Duke Ellington.

The acclaimed jazz duo Peter H. Bloom, flute, and John Funkhouser, piano, salute Duke Ellington with an exuberant video-concert, including Take the A Train, In a Sentimental Mood, Cottontail, Caravan, I’m Beginning to See the Light, and other selections by Duke and his circle. Peter and John have performed together for almost 30 years. They’ve been praised as jazz masters, and they’ve captivated audiences with their swinging celebrations of the great Duke Ellington. Join us in a Live Zoom event to meet the musicians beforehand. Then, we’ll enjoy a pre-recorded video of this exciting concert. A Zoom reception will be held after the concert, for conversations and Q&A with the musicians.

Both Peter and John are veterans of the legendary Aardvark Jazz Orchestra (48th season) and the FiLmprov Ensemble (24th season). Each of them has impressive touring and recording credentials. Peter H. Bloom has shared the stage with Sheila Jordan, Charles Neville, Ricky Ford, Geri Allen, Jaki Byard and other jazz greats. Praised for “amazing versatility” (Arts Fuse) and “hip, jazzy flute work” (AllAboutJazz), Bloom performs in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Australia, and appears on 47 CDs. He is acclaimed as both a jazz and classical artist. 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 other top venues from Kansas City, New Orleans, and Chicago to Paris, Singapore, and Hong Kong. He teaches at Berklee College of Music.

Registration is required; Zoom information will be sent in your registration confirmation.

Thanks to our community co-sponsors and the Friends of the Belmont Public Library to make this amazing series of events possible.