John Bunch

John Bunch (b. Tipton, December 1, 1921 - d. New York City, March 30, 2010) – Pianist and conductor. Born and raised in Tipton, Bunch studied piano with George Johnson, a well-known local teacher, and played in adult dance bands by age fourteen. He also attended Indiana University as a speech major. As a member of the air corps during WW II, Bunch was taken prisoner after being shot down during an air bombing attack over Germany. In prison camp, he learned to arrange for big bands, and, following the war, he had factory jobs and worked in the insurance business. After moving to Los Angeles in 1956, he made important contacts in the jazz world and moved to New York two years later; there, he got experience playing with the bands of Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson, and Eddie Condon (also from Indiana). From 1966 to 1972, he was an accompanist and musical director for Tony Bennett. After leaving Bennett, he played with the bands of Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, and Buddy Rich. Since 1990, he appeared on over twenty CDs and led the New York Swing Trio with guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli and bassist Jay Leonhart into his '80s.