Pianist John Bunch Sticks to Melodic Jazz Tradition

Pianist John Bunch began his career in the 1930s, at the height of the swing era, so he’s lived long enough to watch jazz evolve through several incarnations. But as be-bop, cool jazz and fusion came along, Bunch stayed true to his heart. He’s a melodic player who likes to leave some space between notes. After more than 50 years at the keyboard, he still favors traditional jazz standards.

Bunch will play shows at two San Diego venues this weekend. On Friday night, he will appear at San Luis Rey Downs Country Club in an all-star band as part of “Gemini Bash 10,” the annual birthday party that Vista jazz buff Jim Miller (he’s turning 77) throws for himself. On Saturday night, Bunch will team with top locals Jim Plank on drums and Bob Magnusson on bass at the Horton Grand Hotel in downtown San Diego.

During a career that has included conducting top big bands such as Basie’s and Ellington’s and TV performances on shows starring Tom Jones, Pearl Bailey and Jonathan Winters, Bunch, 70, has also found time to make about 10 albums of his own. Now, his recording career is picking up steam thanks to a deal with LRC Ltd., a small New York label.

His first recording on LRC, capturing Bunch with guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Joe Cocuzzo, came out last year, and Bunch’s new collection of Cole Porter tunes is due later this year.

Though Bunch ventures out from his New York City apartment for occasional road dates, he spends most of his time at home. This is his first time playing San Diego as a leader, although he has appeared here a few times over the years as a side man to other musicians.

“I mostly work the clubs around New York,” he explained. “I have three home bases, places where I get a week three times a year, and that’s nine weeks of very rewarding work.”

Bunch’s regular haunts are the Knickerbocker Saloon and Zinno in Greenwich Village, and the Tavern on the Green. Additionally, he often appears in New York with saxophonist Scott Hamilton, like Bunch a devotee of sensuous, emotional ballads.

Bunch counts pianists Ahmad Jamal and Hank Jones among his influences, both of whom are known for emotion, not dazzling speed.

“I loved Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson,” Bunch said, referring to two great technical masters of the piano, “but I never could play like that, so I try to do what I can do.”

Bunch was born and raised in Tipton, Ind., spent two years during the late 1950s in Los Angeles and has lived in New York City since 1958.

“New York is not as good as it was during the 1940s and 1950s (for jazz), but this is still the place to be if you’re really serious about playing jazz,” Bunch said.

At San Luis Rey Downs, he will be part of an impromptu sextet led by clarinet player Abe Most, a seasoned jazz and Los Angeles studio player. At the Horton Grand, in the trio setting, Bunch will concentrate on material from his last and upcoming recordings, as well as other standards.

Music at Miller’s party starts at 8 p.m. with a $20 cover charge. Music at the Horton Grand starts at 8:30, no cover.

KIFM deejay Gene Harris hopes to go national with his “Hot and Heavy Television,” an hourlong mix of music videos, interviews and live performance footage featuring top light-jazz artists. The program debuted May 30 on KTTY-TV (Channel 69), and will replace “St. Elsewhere” from the 7-to-8 slot on the last Saturday of each month.

The first edition of the show featured Phil Perry, Kenny G, San Diego-based Checkfield, Tuck and Patti and several other artists. The second show, to air June 27, will include videos of musicians including Najee and Keiko Matsui, interviews with San Diego-based bands Fattburger and Reel to Real, and live footage of Kilauea and Greg Karukas performing at KIFM’s (98.1) jazz festival last month.

KIFM is helping to promote the show. Harris has access to all artists backstage at Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, and plans to get plenty of original interviews for the show.

Harris pays for time on KTTY, and sells half the advertising time--six minutes per show at $500 to $750 for each 30-second “unit.” He has invested more than $15,000 so far and doesn’t see turning a profit soon, but that’s not his immediate objective.

“It’s more a labor of love than something we’re tailoring to a lot of financial goals,” he said. “We’re just trying to improve the show and develop a high-quality product during the first six months.”

Harris is working on syndication, and hopes the show will be airing in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Bakersfield and San Bernardino-Riverside by the fall.

RIFFS: In February, Croce’s took over Elario’s sponsorship of Ron Galon’s Sunday night 10-to-midnight “Jazz Show” on KIFM (98.1). Elario’s dropped from the picture around the time it stopped booking national and international jazz acts at the end of last year. Now, KIFM is thinking about expanding Galon’s show, either by extending his Sunday night slot or by moving him to a larger Sunday morning slot. Galon also hosts a Wednesday night 6-to-9 jazz show on KSDS-FM (88.3). He plays riskier music and more classic jazz from the 1950s and 1960s on KSDS, while devoting significant portions of his KIFM time to “young lions” of jazz. . . .

Tobacco Road plays traditional jazz as Carlsbad’s summer “Jazz in the Parks” series continues at 6 p.m. Friday in Stagecoach Park (at La Costa Avenue and Rancho Santa Fe Road).

CRITIC’S CHOICE

STORM AT THE HORTON GRAND HOTEL

If you like the vibes of Cal Tjader, you’ll probably like the music of Storm, a San Diego-based Latin jazz band including vibraphonist-marimba player Pat Burke that plays a lot of Tjader’s music.

The Gaslamp Quarter has become a hot spot for Latin jazz, with places like Cafe Sevilla, El Sotano and Cafe Bravo dishing it up regularly. Friday night at 8, the Horton Grand Hotel downtown follows suit with Storm. The band’s instrumentation shows its authentic south-of-the-border bent. There’s no drummer. Instead, the rhythmic power is supplied by congas, timbales, bongos and all manner of percussion instruments played by a crew of bangers including Tommy Aros of Fattburger. Besides the percussion section and Burke, Storm includes bass and piano.

The group should bring some tumultuous weather to this traditionally straight-ahead jazz club.