Bunk Johnson
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Bunk Johnson – Spicy Advice
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Biography
*Bunk gave the year of his birth as 1879, although there is speculation that he may have actually been younger by as much as a decade.
Bunk received lessons from Adam Olivier and began playing professionally in Olivier’s orchestra. Bunk probably played a few adolescent jobs with Buddy Bolden, but was not a regular member of Bolden’s Band for any length of time (contrary to Bunk’s claim). Bunk was regarded as one of the top trumpeters in New Orleans in the years 1905–1915, in between repeatedly leaving the city to tour with minstrel shows and circus bands. After he failed to appear for a New Orleans Mardi Gras parade job in 1915, he learned the krewe members intended to do him bodily harm, and so he left town, touring with shows and then settling in New Iberia, Louisiana. In 1931 he lost his trumpet and front teeth when a violent fight broke out at a dance in Rayne, Louisiana, putting an end to his playing. He thereafter worked in manual labor, occasionally giving music lessons on the side when he could.
Career revival and first recordings
In 1938 and 1939 the researchers/writers of the first book of jazz history, Jazzmen, interviewed several prominent musicians of the time, including Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and Clarence Williams, who spoke very highly of Bunk in the old days in New Orleans. The writers tracked down Bunk’s address, and traded several letters with him, where Bunk recalled (and possibly embellished) his early career.
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Glass_Monkey
Updated the bio for y'all - Bunk is a hotline to heaven! Shouldn't have worried so much about the teeth - Acker Bilk managed without 'em.
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Frenchytj
I had a particular pleasure to write this bio,an I still have a great sympathy for these courage- -ous musicians! I have to make a confession to you guys!I am a trumpet-player too,and all these years onstage,I had only one thing in mind :Keep 'em teeth undamaged !
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JoshCIVM
That could very well be the best bio on the Internet.
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rumdoxy
HawHaw! Good for Bunk, confusing all those poor historians. The task of the artist is to carve realities out of/into ephemera.
