Charles Funn & The Funn Band Plays Duke Ellington

Celebrate International Jazz Day AND the 5th Anniversary of Keystone Korner Baltimore this coming April 30th with Charles Funn & The Funn Band as they play the music of Duke Ellington!

The true “King of Swing”, and one of the greatest composers and creative forces, Duke Ellington was one of the originators of big-band jazz. Ellington led his band for more than half a century, composed thousands of scores, and created one of the most distinctive ensemble sounds in all of Western music.

Charles Funn, a graduate of Morgan Stage College is a retired band instructor (44 years) with the BCPSS. In addition to being a music instructor, he was and is a practicing professional musician having played behind and with Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Sammy Davis Jr., Gladys Knight, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Dells, Clark terry, Dizzy Gillespie, The Morgan State university Concert & Jazz Bands and The Howard University Jazz Ensemble.

Charles awards include numerous Mayoral Citations, Jazz Journalist’s Association Jazz Hero Award for 2015, The Benny Golson Jazz Masters Award for 2018 presented by Howard University and The Baltimore Jazz Alliance Award for 2022. He currently performs with Dr. Phil Butts Big Band, Bowie State University Community Jazz Ensemble, The New World Outreach Jazz Orchestra, The Clarence Knight Orchestra and The Charles Funn Big Band. Funn started, trained and developed countless future musicians as he nurtured and guided the musical development of Baltimore’s youth.