Jimmy Bunn

[fasstrack]

Does anyone know anything about this Ca. 1940s West Coast pianist? His intro to Lover Man on Bird's ill-fated date was a honey. Then he showed what 'good lookin' out' means, immediately covering the melody for a bar when Parker didn't come in. I'd like more of that, please.........

[brownie]

There's a full chapter on Jimmy Bunn in the book 'San Quentin Jazz Band' which I mentioned in this Earl Anderza thread..

Don't think this excellent book has been translated yet.

Author Pierre Briancion brought in a lot of new informations on some of the musicians who spent time in San Quentin.

Bunn was one of them. He was there for the usual reason. He was pretty active with the San Quentin prison jazz band and played with Dupree Bolton and Art Pepper among others.

He was released in December 1967. His attempts at getting back on the music scene were not successful.

The book mentions he was a chauffeur for a retired persons home in his final years (was also a chauffeur for Dorothy Donegan!).

Bunn died on March 24, 1997 in LA. His death went unreported.

[fasstrack]

There's a full chapter on Jimmy Bunn in the book 'San Quentin Jazz Band' which I mentioned in this Earl Anderza thread..

Don't think this excellent book has been translated yet.

Author Pierre Briancion brought in a lot of new informations on some of the musicians who spent time in San Quentin.

Bunn was one of them. He was there for the usual reason. He was pretty active with the San Quentin prison jazz band and played with Dupree Bolton and Art Pepper among others.

He was released in December 1967. His attempts at getting back on the music scene were not successful.

The book mentions he was a chauffeur for a retired persons home in his final years (was also a chauffeur for Dorothy Donegan!).

Bunn died on March 24, 1997 in LA. His death went unreported.

Thanks. As usual you guys know your s*&t. Sorry his life was so hard, but I can also relate. Haven't gotten into trouble for the 'usual reasons' myself, but I've known my share of guys that have. And I sure know about the strain of the jazz life.

I didn't know about this book. Thanks. Funny, Art Pepper didn't mention Jimmy Bunn in Straight Life. Neither did Hampton Hawes in his autobiog. He also wasn't mentioned in a recent book that covered black entertainers and musicians in L.A. in the 40s (I can't recall the title now, I think it may have had 'color' in it). It was by a white guy, and didn't turn out to be about the jazz scene anyway) I'd rather hear him than read about it anyway. I think he played with Wardell Grey and possibly Dexter, right? He had to have played with Dexter if he was on the Central Ave. scene, and they probably hung if he was also down with that particular powder. I think Phil Yaap played a recording w/Wardell---unless I dreamt it. Then there was the date they made the same day as Bird's, after he split----a few tracks with Howard McGhee to salvage the studio time. What about Joe Pass? He was out of Synanon and coming on strong by '67.

That Lover Man intro is haunting. Gotta learn that. The track is beautiful and whatever Bird was going through his ballad performances (the Gypsy was the other) were very moving. He executed better than the other stuff where he took a chorus and had to stop. And the band had his back.

On another topic: Another guy no one seems to know anything about: Nat Leslie. He wrote at least one amazing piece in the 30s: Radio Rhythm for Fletcher Henderson. Any info on him or his other pieces would be appreciated. Dan Morgenstern didn't know much, he told me. Schaap either. A mystery man, seemingly.

Edited April 1, 2009 by fasstrack

[brownie]

Jimmy Bunn was the piano player on another classic 'The Chase' by Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray, the 1947 session for Dial.

He was also on the Helen Humes All Stars 1945 date on Philco/Aladdin that had Snooky Young, Willie Smith and Lester Young in the lineup!

[Niko]

don't think this link to the san quentin jazz band book homepage is in the anderza thread... some nice photos on that page!

http://sqjazzband.googlepages.com/home

[brownie]

Thanks Niko for that link. Missed that one!

Did you get the book? A very readable volume.

[Niko]

Thanks Niko for that link. Missed that one!

Did you get the book? A very readable volume.

still contemplate getting it - my french is very thin (just two years in school...), does your "readable" imply it's not hard to read?

(read some math book in french, it worked out ok but i guess (hope) the san quentin jazz band is different)

[brownie]

still contemplate getting it - my french is very thin (just two years in school...), does your "readable" imply it's not hard to read?

It's an easy read if your French is OK. If you managed to get through a math book in french, you should not have too many problems.

I had a lot of problems reading math books in french when I had to

[fasstrack]

Thanks Niko for that link. Missed that one!

Did you get the book? A very readable volume.

still contemplate getting it - my french is very thin (just two years in school...), does your "readable" imply it's not hard to read?

(read some math book in french, it worked out ok but i guess (hope) the san quentin jazz band is different)

It is a bitch when it's in another language----er, ne c'est pas? There's a bio on Jobim which I'd love to read. By his sister, no less, who knows where the bones are buried. The catch: It's in Portugese. I wish I had the time to learn it, as it's one of the most beautiful sounds these ears have yet heard. My drummer is Brazilian and he recently took a call on his cell on the street as we were talking and spoke in Portugese . I stood and listened in rapture at the sound of it.

Edited April 1, 2009 by fasstrack

[king ubu]

Hey, good to hear that the st. quentin book is an easy read, brownie! I guess I can handle it then!

[fasstrack]

Nat Leslie: Anyone? Especially his music besides Radio Rhythm. I'd be so grateful you can come over for milk and cookies. Or I'll mail 'em to you

[Niko]

still contemplate getting it - my french is very thin (just two years in school...), does your "readable" imply it's not hard to read?

It's an easy read if your French is OK. If you managed to get through a math book in french, you should not have too many problems.

I had a lot of problems reading math books in french when I had to

guess it helps when you know the type of statements a book should make (in maths, actually, if someone told me, the most accessible text is in norwegian or italian only, i might give it a try (because a well-organized text helps a lot there and when you have to spend a day with two or three pages anyway you have more than enough time to figure out those few sentences))... similarly with a jazz book, that someone recorded with dexter gordon is a bit of information one can easily grasp in many languages... but of course i hope the book goes a bit deeper (and luckily otherwise, the language of (good) jazz journalism is more flexible than the language of maths...)

bottomline: the book is on my birthday wishlist

[Niko]

Nat Leslie: Anyone? Especially his music besides Radio Rhythm. I'd be so grateful you can come over for milk and cookies. Or I'll mail 'em to you

all i can tell you is that jeffrey magee's henderson biography calls him elusive (unfortunately footnote 35 to chapter 7 is not part of the free preview... but i guess that one wouldn't help either, otherwise there'd be more info in the main text...

http://books.google.com/books?id=QPCzhsfro...p;lr=&hl=de

(lord lists 11 sessions in 1931 and that's it - don't have lord and can't tell you what they were...)

[fasstrack]

Nat Leslie: Anyone? Especially his music besides Radio Rhythm. I'd be so grateful you can come over for milk and cookies. Or I'll mail 'em to you

all i can tell you is that jeffrey magee's henderson biography calls him elusive (unfortunately footnote 35 to chapter 7 is not part of the free preview... but i guess that one wouldn't help either, otherwise there'd be more info in the main text...

http://books.google.com/books?id=QPCzhsfro...p;lr=&hl=de

(lord lists 11 sessions in 1931 and that's it - don't have lord and can't tell you what they were...)

I guess I'll settle for Radio Rhythm being written then, and call it a day. Thanks, Niko.

Joel

[Lazaro Vega]

Let's see...Bruyninckx lists him as arranger with:

King Carter and his Royal Orchestra : Wardell Jones, Shelton Hemphill, Ed Anderson (tp) Harry White, Henry

Hicks (tb) Charlie Holmes (cl,as) Theodore McCord, Castor McCord (ts) Edgar Hayes (p) Benny James (bj)

Hayes Alvis (b) Willie Lynch (d) Dick Rogers (Dick Robertson) (vcl) unknown scat vcl-1

New York, March 23, 1931

For "Low Down on the Bayou" and "Blue Rhythm."

Leslie contributed his arrangement of "Radio Rhythm" to Henderson, as Connie's Inn Orchestra, for a July '31 session. Then "Blue Rhythm" and "Low Down On the Bayou" for Henderson, again as Connie's Inn Orchestra, in August of '31.

The Mills Blue Rhythm Band (as The Blue Rhythm Boys) recorded "Blue Rhythm" and "Lowdown on the Bayou" in April of '31, then Leslie's arrangement on "Heat Wave" in February '32.

[Lazaro Vega]

Niko, thanks for the link!

[fasstrack]

Let's see...Bruyninckx lists him as arranger with:

King Carter and his Royal Orchestra : Wardell Jones, Shelton Hemphill, Ed Anderson (tp) Harry White, Henry

Hicks (tb) Charlie Holmes (cl,as) Theodore McCord, Castor McCord (ts) Edgar Hayes (p) Benny James (bj)

Hayes Alvis (b) Willie Lynch (d) Dick Rogers (Dick Robertson) (vcl) unknown scat vcl-1

New York, March 23, 1931

For "Low Down on the Bayou" and "Blue Rhythm."

Leslie contributed his arrangement of "Radio Rhythm" to Henderson, as Connie's Inn Orchestra, for a July '31 session. Then "Blue Rhythm" and "Low Down On the Bayou" for Henderson, again as Connie's Inn Orchestra, in August of '31.

The Mills Blue Rhythm Band (as The Blue Rhythm Boys) recorded "Blue Rhythm" and "Lowdown on the Bayou" in April of '31, then Leslie's arrangement on "Heat Wave" in February '32.

Thanks. What's available on recording? I have Fletcher's Tidal Wave, which has a lot of Don Redman's stuff also.

[jazztrain]

The Mills Blue Rhythm Band (as the Blue Rhythm Boys) versions of "Low Down on the Bayou" and "Blue Rhythm" as well as the MBRB version of Heat Waves are all on CD on Hep 1008. In the notes, Nat Leslie is described as the band's arranger.

Let's see...Bruyninckx lists him as arranger with:

King Carter and his Royal Orchestra : Wardell Jones, Shelton Hemphill, Ed Anderson (tp) Harry White, Henry
Hicks (tb) Charlie Holmes (cl,as) Theodore McCord, Castor McCord (ts) Edgar Hayes (p) Benny James (bj)
Hayes Alvis (b) Willie Lynch (d) Dick Rogers (Dick Robertson) (vcl) unknown scat vcl-1
New York, March 23, 1931

For "Low Down on the Bayou" and "Blue Rhythm."

Leslie contributed his arrangement of "Radio Rhythm" to Henderson, as Connie's Inn Orchestra, for a July '31 session. Then "Blue Rhythm" and "Low Down On the Bayou" for Henderson, again as Connie's Inn Orchestra, in August of '31.

The Mills Blue Rhythm Band (as The Blue Rhythm Boys) recorded "Blue Rhythm" and "Lowdown on the Bayou" in April of '31, then Leslie's arrangement on "Heat Wave" in February '32.

Thanks. What's available on recording? I have Fletcher's Tidal Wave, which has a lot of Don Redman's stuff also.

[Mark Stryker]

FWIW -- Jimmy Bunn was a key member of Gerald Wilson's first big band and is on the remarkable sides the band recorded for several labels between 1945-47, among them  "Groovin' High," recorded in 1945 -- the first big band chart on the song -- months after Gillespie after introduced it on record. 

 

 

 

[gmonahan]

Was he related to guitarist Teddy Bunn?

 

 

gregmo

[romualdo]

On 5/10/2017 at 2:06 AM, gmonahan said:

Was he related to guitarist Teddy Bunn?

 

gregmo

Looks like they were brothers from the scanty information below

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teddy_Bunn

[Big Beat Steve]

6 hours ago, romualdo said:

Looks like they were brothers from the scanty information below

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teddy_Bunn

John Chilton's "Who's Who of Jazz" does not mention any relationship in the entry on Teddy Bunn, although Chilton often mentions family members who also were musicians, and in fact he does mention a brother named Kenneth who played the violin.

No mention of any link between them in the Teddy Bunn entry in Leonard Feather's Encyclopedia of Jazz either.

[gmonahan]

So, probably just a coincidence of names, then. Or they were fourth cousins, three times removed!! Thanks for the responses!

 

 

gregmo

[mikeweil]

The list of musicians named "Bunn" from the Lord disco:

Alden Bunn 1957 vcl

Allen Bunn 1951-1960 g,vcl

Alvern Bunn 1970-1973 cga

Colin Bunn 1998-2001 g,vcl

David Bunn 1993-1994 p,synt

David Alan Bunn 2013 p

Dick Bunn 2007 b

Elvin Bunn 1961 cga

James William Bunn 1953 d

Jimmy Bunn 1945-1964 p,d

Robert Anthony Bunn 1976 el-b,g,b

Rudi Bunn 1978 cnt,vcl

Teddy Bunn 1929-1952 g,vcl,bj,el-g

Tony Bunn 1976-2000 el-b,b-g,b

The years are when they recorded.

Edited May 16, 2017 by mikeweil

[Big Beat Steve]

I'd wager a guess that Alden Bunn and Allen Bunn are one and the same (Tarheel Slim - see entry in Leadbitter/ Slaven).

That makes them one less Bunn but that don't change much ...