John Bunch was an American jazz pianist born on December 1, 1921, in Tipton, Indiana. He studied with George Johnson and performed with adult bands by age 14. During World War II, Bunch served as a bombardier in the Army Air Forces; his plane was shot down in 1944, and he was held as a prisoner of war. After the war, he earned a degree in linguistics from Indiana University. In 1956, Bunch relocated to Los Angeles to perform with Georgie Auld and Jimmie Rowles before moving to New York in 1958. He joined the ensembles of Eddie Condon and Maynard Ferguson. Between 1966 and 1972, he served as the musical director for Tony Bennett. Bunch’s recording career featured the albums John’s Bunch (1975), New York Swing (1996), and A Special Alliance (2001). He collaborated with performers including Scott Hamilton and Warren Vaché. Bunch died of melanoma on March 30, 2010, in Manhattan.
