Tony Bunn
Encyclopedia
Robert Anthony Bunn, also known as Tony Bunn, (born November 18, 1957) is an American bassist, composer, producer, and writer.
His instruments are bass guitar, upright bass, voice, and mind. His styles are jazz
, funk
, blues
, and rock
.
By the age of twenty-two he had toured Europe and played and recorded with several renowned groups, including Sun Ra
, Harold Ivory Williams
, Michal Urbaniak
, Urszula Dudziak
, Jean Carne
, Chuck Brown
, and the legendary Chuck Berry
. In 1977, he conceived and developed the first modern 5-string bass guitar with luthier Paul Reed Smith
. Graduating from university in his late twenties, Bunn earned Bachelors degrees in mathematics and computer science. Working with computers and scientific programming, he went on to receive an award from NASA for flight dynamics work on the Terra satellite system. Later, aged in his fifties, Bunn returned to music fulltime and began producing projects as a bandleader and solo artist. In 2009, he released the “Small World” recording (also featuring Dennis Chambers
, Arshak Sirunyan, etc.), receiving international acclaim.
with Arshak Sirunyan:
with Ray Gaskins:
with Gabrielle Goodman:
with Michal Urbaniak
:
with Urszula Dudziak
:
with Sun Ra
:
His instruments are bass guitar, upright bass, voice, and mind. His styles are jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
.
Biography
Tony Bunn was born into a musical family and began studying music in grade school. By the age of seventeen he was proficient on woodwind and brass instruments; earning scholarships to Peabody Institute Preparatory Summer Program(s), as well as inclusion in local orchestras for gifted students. He began the study of the bass guitar in high school.By the age of twenty-two he had toured Europe and played and recorded with several renowned groups, including Sun Ra
Sun Ra
Sun Ra was a prolific jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, poet and philosopher known for his "cosmic philosophy," musical compositions and performances. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama...
, Harold Ivory Williams
Harold Ivory Williams
Harold Ivory Williams, Jr. was an American jazz keyboardist most known for working with Miles Davis, Michal Urbaniak, and the late Rev...
, Michal Urbaniak
Michal Urbaniak
Michał Urbaniak is a Polish jazz musician and composer born in Warsaw, playing mainly the violin, lyricon and saxophone during concerts and recordings...
, Urszula Dudziak
Urszula Dudziak
Urszula Bogumiła Dudziak-Urbaniak is a leading Polish jazz vocalist. She has worked with such artists as Krzysztof Komeda, Michał Urbaniak , Gil Evans, Archie Shepp, and Lester Bowie...
, Jean Carne
Jean Carne
Jean Carn is an American jazz and pop singer known for her unique vocalising and her impressive interpretative and improvisational skills...
, Chuck Brown
Chuck Brown
Chuck Brown is a guitarist and singer who is affectionately called "The Godfather of Go-go". Go-go is a subgenre of funk music developed in and around Washington, D.C. in the mid- and late 1970s...
, and the legendary Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
. In 1977, he conceived and developed the first modern 5-string bass guitar with luthier Paul Reed Smith
Paul Reed Smith
Paul Reed Smith , is a luthier and the founder and owner of PRS Guitars.Smith is originally from Bowie, Maryland. He made his first guitar while at St. Mary's College of Maryland, and continued to build guitars after he finished college, making them one at a time, one a month...
. Graduating from university in his late twenties, Bunn earned Bachelors degrees in mathematics and computer science. Working with computers and scientific programming, he went on to receive an award from NASA for flight dynamics work on the Terra satellite system. Later, aged in his fifties, Bunn returned to music fulltime and began producing projects as a bandleader and solo artist. In 2009, he released the “Small World” recording (also featuring Dennis Chambers
Dennis Chambers
Dennis Chambers is an American drummer who has recorded and performed with John Scofield, George Duke, Brecker Brothers, Santana, Parliament/Funkadelic, John McLaughlin, Niacin, Mike Stern, Greg Howe, and many others. Despite a lack of formal training, Chambers has become well known among...
, Arshak Sirunyan, etc.), receiving international acclaim.
Selected Discography
as a leader:- Spirit Moves (2007)
- Small World (2009)
with Arshak Sirunyan:
- Journal (2011)
with Ray Gaskins:
- A Night In The Life (2009)
with Gabrielle Goodman:
- Travelin' Light (1993)
- Angel Eyes (2003)
with Michal Urbaniak
Michal Urbaniak
Michał Urbaniak is a Polish jazz musician and composer born in Warsaw, playing mainly the violin, lyricon and saxophone during concerts and recordings...
:
- Miles Ahead (1976)
- Heritage (1976)
- Urbaniak (1977)
with Urszula Dudziak
Urszula Dudziak
Urszula Bogumiła Dudziak-Urbaniak is a leading Polish jazz vocalist. She has worked with such artists as Krzysztof Komeda, Michał Urbaniak , Gil Evans, Archie Shepp, and Lester Bowie...
:
- Midnight Rain (1977)
with Sun Ra
Sun Ra
Sun Ra was a prolific jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, poet and philosopher known for his "cosmic philosophy," musical compositions and performances. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama...
:
- Live At MontreuxLive At MontreuxAlice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005 is a live video and album release by Alice Cooper. It was released worldwide in May 2006 as a combined DVD and CD package....
(1976) - Cosmos (1976)