Biography
John Bunch maintained an extensive and notable career in jazz, although his skill as a sensitive accompanist occasionally caused his contributions to be overlooked. He began studying piano at age 11 and was soon performing in neighborhood venues. A versatile keyboardist whose chief influence was Teddy Wilson, he remained active primarily on the local scene until joining the orchestras of Woody Herman in 1956–1957, Benny Goodman, and Maynard Ferguson in 1958, by which time he had reached his mid-thirties.
He subsequently played in the smaller ensembles of Buddy Rich, the Al Cohn/Zoot Sims duo, and Gene Krupa from 1961 to 1964, then rejoined Rich for the 1966 big-band edition. From 1966 through 1972 he served as Tony Bennett’s pianist. He continued intermittent associations with Goodman throughout the 1960s and 1970s while issuing five albums under his own name on Famous Door, Chiaroscuro—an outstanding solo-piano collection of Kurt Weill material later reissued on CD—and Progressive between 1975 and 1977.
During the 1980s and into the following decade, Bunch frequently worked with younger mainstream musicians including Scott Hamilton and Warren Vache and recorded for Concord, Chiaroscuro, and Arbors. Among his well-regarded later releases were A Special Alliance (Arbors, 2002), An English Songbook (Chiaroscuro, 2003), Tony’s Tunes (Chiaroscuro, 2003), At the Nola Playhouse: Salutes Jimmy Van Heusen (Arbors, 2006), and Plays the Music of Irving Berlin (Except One) (Arbors, 2008).
Alongside Bucky Pizzarelli and Jay Leonhart he co-directed the cooperative New York Swing, also known at times as the John Bunch Trio, the ensemble with which he gave his final performance on 11 March 2010. Throughout his life he appeared in solo recitals at Carnegie Hall and in numerous international capitals, and he was featured on many television broadcasts both domestically and overseas. He also directed orchestras led by Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Count Basie, and Buddy Rich, as well as the London Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Cleveland Orchestra. Several of his original compositions were recorded by Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Joe Morello, and Warren Vache, Jr. John Bunch succumbed to melanoma in Manhattan on 30 March 2010 at the age of 88.
He subsequently played in the smaller ensembles of Buddy Rich, the Al Cohn/Zoot Sims duo, and Gene Krupa from 1961 to 1964, then rejoined Rich for the 1966 big-band edition. From 1966 through 1972 he served as Tony Bennett’s pianist. He continued intermittent associations with Goodman throughout the 1960s and 1970s while issuing five albums under his own name on Famous Door, Chiaroscuro—an outstanding solo-piano collection of Kurt Weill material later reissued on CD—and Progressive between 1975 and 1977.
During the 1980s and into the following decade, Bunch frequently worked with younger mainstream musicians including Scott Hamilton and Warren Vache and recorded for Concord, Chiaroscuro, and Arbors. Among his well-regarded later releases were A Special Alliance (Arbors, 2002), An English Songbook (Chiaroscuro, 2003), Tony’s Tunes (Chiaroscuro, 2003), At the Nola Playhouse: Salutes Jimmy Van Heusen (Arbors, 2006), and Plays the Music of Irving Berlin (Except One) (Arbors, 2008).
Alongside Bucky Pizzarelli and Jay Leonhart he co-directed the cooperative New York Swing, also known at times as the John Bunch Trio, the ensemble with which he gave his final performance on 11 March 2010. Throughout his life he appeared in solo recitals at Carnegie Hall and in numerous international capitals, and he was featured on many television broadcasts both domestically and overseas. He also directed orchestras led by Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Count Basie, and Buddy Rich, as well as the London Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Cleveland Orchestra. Several of his original compositions were recorded by Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Joe Morello, and Warren Vache, Jr. John Bunch succumbed to melanoma in Manhattan on 30 March 2010 at the age of 88.
Albums
