John Bunch: Difference between revisions

| image_size = 250

| landscape = yes

| caption = Dick Sheridan and John Bunch, 2007

| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist

| birth_name =

| death_date = {{death date and age|2010|3|30|1921|12|1}}

| death_place = New York City, U.S.

| genre = [[Jazz]]

| occupation = Musician

| instrument = Piano

| years_active =

Born and raised in [[Tipton, Indiana]],<ref name="LarkinJazz">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-580-8|page=68}}</ref> a small farming community, heBunch studied piano with George Johnson, a well-known Hoosier jazz pianist. By the age of 14, he was already playing with adult bands in central Indiana.

During [[World War II]], he enlisted in the Army Air CorpsForces and became a bombardier on a [[B17 Flying Fortress]].<ref name="LarkinJazz"/> He and his ten-man crew were transferred to combat duty in England, flying bombing missions over Germany. His plane was shot down 2on November 2, 1944, and Bunch was taken prisoner.<ref name="LarkinJazz"/> In the prison camp, he learned to [[arrangement|arrange]] for big bands.

After the war, he applied for university training as a music major, but was refused because he couldn'tcould not sight read [[classical music]].<ref name="LarkinJazz"/> He worked later in factories and insurance. In 1956, he moved to [[Los Angeles]] where he immediately was accepted by jazz musicians such as [[Georgie Auld]] and [[Jimmie Rowles]], who later recommended him to [[Woody Herman]].<ref name="LarkinJazz"/> He settled in New York in 1958, where he joined [[Eddie Condon]] and [[Maynard Ferguson]].<ref name="LarkinJazz"/> He recorded with Ferguson and many smaller groups.

In 1966, Bunch joined [[Tony Bennett]] as pianist and musical director, and stayed in the employ ofwith the singer until 1972.<ref name="LarkinJazz"/> During that time he appeared on Bennett's 1972 series for [[Thames Television]], ''[[Tony Bennett at the Talk of the Town]]''. After that, he resumed his jazz work, performing and recording with [[Benny Goodman]], [[Buddy Rich]], [[Gene Krupa]], [[Pearl Bailey]], and [[Scott Hamilton (musician)|Scott Hamilton]].<ref name="LarkinJazz"/> He led a trio, mostly in England, and made many recordings as a leader, mostsuch notablyas with the New York Swing Trio with [[Bucky Pizzarelli]] and [[Jay Leonhart]].

Bunch was stillremained active in Europe and the United States during his final years. He died of [[melanoma]] in Roosevelt Hospital, [[Manhattan]], New York City, on March 30, 2010. He was survived by his wife, Cecily "Chips" Gemmell, a former private secretary to [[Winston Churchill]].<ref name=bunch>{{cite news |author=Nate Chinen |coauthors= |title=John Bunch, pianist with Goodman and Bennett, dies at 88 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/arts/music/02bunch.html |quote=John Bunch, a jazz pianist whose elegant style led to prominent sideman posts with Benny Goodman and Tony Bennett as well as an accomplished solo career, died on Tuesday in Manhattan, where he lived. He was 88. His death, at Roosevelt Hospital, was caused by melanoma, said Cecily Gemmell, his wife and only immediate survivor. ... |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 1, 2010 |accessdate=2014-12access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref>

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[[Category:DeathsAmerican frommale cancerjazz in New Yorkpianists]]

[[Category:Deaths from melanoma in New York (state)]]