Von Kleist and Eldred present The Gift of Thanks

The Gift of Thanks on Sunday, Nov. 18, is a benefit concert for Groovetrail, featuring two of the Flathead’s most talented and beloved performers, Erica von Kleist and Mike Eldred.

Backed by an incredible band, von Kleist and Eldred will tug on your heartstrings and have you tapping your toes to songs by Earth Wind & Fire, Sting and Stevie Wonder, to name a few.

Also performing are the students of the Flathead Ellington Project, Groovetrail’s all-star high school jazz ensemble, which brings live music into nursing homes and care facilities, and also supports jazz education in schools. The concert will benefit these programs, as well as make a contribution to the Flathead Food Bank for Thanksgiving.

Since 2014 Groovetrail has been providing nursing homes and care facilities, including the Montana Veterans Home, with live performances featuring talented Flathead musicians. Serving a dozen locations with 70 performances a year, the Gift of Music Program impacts over 1,500 seniors valley-wide.

The Flathead Ellington Project includes students from throughout the valley. In collaboration with the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Groovetrail’s Flathead Ellington Project is led by three local band directors and Groovetrail founder Erica von Kleist. The group will perform throughout Montana in 2019 and travel to New York City in May to perform at the Jazz Museum.