Noted Boston duo (Peter H. Bloom, flute; Mark Leighton, guitar) in West Kennebunk August 17

The Boston-based Bloom/Leighton Duo (Peter H. Bloom/Mark Leighton Flute & Guitar) will perform Sunday, August 17 at 3:00 pm in Concerts in West K, a hip new series at West Kennebunk Methodist Church, 160 Alfred Road, West Kennebunk, ME 04043.  Tickets are $15 ($12 seniors/youth), at the door. For information: Paul Wells: 207-985-2831

Known for their versatility and virtuosity, Bloom and Leighton will take the audience on a musical excursion from the salons of Vienna’s golden age to the jazz clubs of Manhattan.  The duo will perform chamber music by Schubert, Giuliani, Villa-Lobos and others, plus up-tempo jazz standards by legendary tunesmiths like Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Hoagy Carmichael and Jerome Kern.

Peter and Mark have performed together for over 20 years, winning praise for superb musicianship and entertaining concerts spanning the classical and jazz traditions.  Peter Bloom’s playing has been called “a revelation for unforced sweetness and strength” (The Boston Globe), and he has been praised for “exquisite melody” and “hip, jazzy flute work” (allaboutjazz.com).   Peter is a veteran of Boston’s legendary Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, which will open its 42^nd season this Fall.  Mark Leighton teaches at Colby College, and is well-known to music lovers in Maine and across the Northeast.  He studied with Sharon Isbin, Robert Sullivan, and David Leisner.

The concert will include the spectacular Grand Duo for Flute and Guitar by Mauro Giuliani, Prelude No. 1 by Heitor Villa-Lobos, and music by Franz Schubert and Jacques Ibert, together with crowd-pleasing jazz standards by such legendary tunesmiths as Duke Ellington, George, Harold Arlen, Dorothy Fields, George Gershwin, Hoagy Carmichael and Jerome Kern.

The Bloom/Leighton Duo is managed by Americas Musicworks, Rebecca DeLamotte, Managing Director, telephone 1-888-887-7169, email:  delamotte-amw@comcast.net

Bios:

Peter H. Bloom, flute, alto flute, bass flute and piccolo, concertizes in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand; appears on 40 recordings (Leo Records, 9Winds, Sony Classical, Dorian, other labels); has given workshops, master classes and lecture-demos across the globe; and is a winner of the American Musicological Society’s Noah Greenberg Award.   His impressive career encompasses exploratory jazz, new and improvised music, jazz standards, blues, bebop, and diverse chamber music from the Renaissance to the 21st century.    The Boston Globe called his playing “a revelation for unforced sweetness and strength,” while Jazz Improv hailed his “exquisite melody” and allaboutjazz.com praised his “hip, jazzy flute work.” He has appeared with Charles Neville, Jaki Byard, Sheila Jordan, Geri Allen, Jay Clayton, Walter Thompson, Raj Mehta, Mark Harvey and other notables.  Bloom is a 38-year veteran (flutes and alto saxophone) with the internationally acclaimed Aardvark Jazz Orchestra (“lush sonorities and a saxophonic blend worthy of Ellington’s finest reed sections” JazzTimes).

Mark Leighton is a classical and jazz guitarist known for his superb artistry and wide-ranging repertoire.  He has performed as a solo recitalist and ensemble player across the Northeast, appearing at venues such as Colby College, Corning Community College, Eastern Nazarene College, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston’s historic King’s Chapel, Thomas Crane Library, Charlestown Public Library, Elmira College and many others.  Mr. Leighton is a regular member of Copley Chamber Players.  He serves on the Applied Music Faculty at Colby College, teaches at Eastern Nazarene College and St. George’s School, and served previously as Artistic Director of First Night Quincy.  A graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, Mr. Leighton studied with noted guitarists Robert Sullivan, David Leisner and Sharon Isbin, among others.