John Bunch (December 1, 1921 – March 30, 2010) was an American jazz pianist.[1][2]
Early life
Born and raised in Tipton, Indiana,[3] a small farming community, Bunch studied piano with George Johnson, a Hoosier jazz pianist. By the age of 14, he was already playing with adult bands in central Indiana.
Later life and career
During World War II, he enlisted in the Army Air Forces and became a bombardier on a B17 Flying Fortress.[3] He and his ten-man crew were transferred to combat duty in England, flying bombing missions over Germany. His plane was shot down on November 2, 1944, and Bunch was taken prisoner.[3] In the prison camp, he learned to arrange for big bands.
After the war, he applied for university training as a music major, but was refused because he could not sight read classical music.[3] 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.[3] He settled in New York in 1958, where he joined Eddie Condon and Maynard Ferguson.[3] He recorded with Ferguson and many smaller groups.
Bunch remained 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.[4]
^Nate Chinen (April 1, 2010). "John Bunch, pianist with Goodman and Bennett, dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved December 23, 2014. 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.
