Bunny Brunel

[John Webb]

......don't hear much about him on TB.

His playing truly inspires me.

[steveb98]

I made the mistake of taking a lesson from him, what a waste of money.

[Triclops]

what happened?

[Baryonyx]

I think he's an awesome player. I only have one record of his, the first CAB project with Dennis Chambers and Tony MacAlpine, but it's great! Superb performances from everyone and the songs are great too, certainly a modern fusion favourite of mine! Bunny is really great on the fretless too, he was a pleasant surprise to discover!

[peekster]

My ex-GF studied with him, and said he was great.

Besides that, he was hired by Chick Corea--filled the slot in between Stanley Clarke and John Pattitucci. Anyone who hangs with that crowd is serious.

That being said: SteveB, what was the problem?

[Baryonyx]

Yeah, I feel that even though he snagged the Corea gig, he has since been kinda eclipsed by Patitucci, which is a shame as he is a great player.

[steveb98]

First he ran way over on the student before me. Then we are trying to go over stuff and he keeps getting phone calls and taking them. Then looks at me and says that was Tony McAlpine. So what he's chewing into my lesson time. Then after talking he gives me some basic fingering stuff and say I can buy his book for more info. I ask some improv questions and he starts playing some stuff on piano, say we'll work on that one day. Then he just ends the lesson. He scedules me for another lesson. I get home and think about all being late, him talking on the phone, and trying to impress me with who he was talking to, and then looking at how little he gave me I decided it wasn't worth the high price he charges. I called him the next day to cancel my lessons and he trying to convince me to not stop, and to think about it one more day. So to be nice I thought about it for another day and called back and canceled.

I take a lesson from someone like Bunny charging master level prices to learn things or have my playing critic'd. I'm not a kid in awe of rubbing elbows with some old pro.

I do think Bunny is a good player and first got into him back when he played and recorded with the fusion trumpet player Alan Vizzuti. I just felt burned by my lesson experience.

[Baryonyx]

Yeah, that does sound a bit dodgy. If I was getting lessons with him, I would have made him turn his phone off and not left the room until the time I'd paid for was up.

[Groovy Bastard]

Originally Posted by steveb98

First he ran way over on the student before me. Then we are trying to go over stuff and he keeps getting phone calls and taking them. Then looks at me and says that was Tony McAlpine. So what he's chewing into my lesson time. Then after talking he gives me some basic fingering stuff and say I can buy his book for more info. I ask some improv questions and he starts playing some stuff on piano, say we'll work on that one day. Then he just ends the lesson. He scedules me for another lesson. I get home and think about all being late, him talking on the phone, and trying to impress me with who he was talking to, and then looking at how little he gave me I decided it wasn't worth the high price he charges. I called him the next day to cancel my lessons and he trying to convince me to not stop, and to think about it one more day. So to be nice I thought about it for another day and called back and canceled.

I take a lesson from someone like Bunny charging master level prices to learn things or have my playing critic'd. I'm not a kid in awe of rubbing elbows with some old pro.

I do think Bunny is a good player and first got into him back when he played and recorded with the fusion trumpet player Alan Vizzuti. I just felt burned by my lesson experience.

Man, if only more students would have your attitude we'd have a lot more good players running around. There can be so much b*llsh*t going on in lessons, I know I've stopped going to some college classes (at the conservatory) to stay at home instead and practice. Again it's proven that a good player doesn't make a good teacher.
I'm studying with one of my country's top players right now, but I purely picked him on the articles about teaching he wrote. I think you've handled the case very well, not letting yourself being intimidated and all.

Anybody got some similar stories?

[jerry]

I just think being a great teacher is special gift and talent in itself. Thats why cats like Charles Banacos are legends to people who study with them, but the general music public has never heard of him. That said...I'm a longtime fan of Bunny's music and his many projects............they always seem to deliver cool bass goodness.

[Baryonyx]

I really dig the look and sound of his basses too, he always sounds great on record! I just wish it wasn't such a rip getting Carvin basses into the UK!

[j-raj]

Originally Posted by jerry

I just think being a great teacher is special gift and talent in itself. Thats why cats like Charles Banacos are legends to people who study with them, but the general music public has never heard of him. That said...I'm a longtime fan of Bunny's music and his many projects............they always seem to deliver cool bass goodness.

There aren't many cats out there like Charles Banacos... I haven't heard his name for a while.

Originally Posted by Groovy Bastard

Anybody got some similar stories?

I have a little bit of a similar story, but it's cool now, cause I have talked to him about it... I met up w/Regi Wooten for a lesson a while back and he was on his phone and had the TV going in the background... which made me a little pissed.

[hands5]

Originally Posted by peekster

My ex-GF studied with him, and said he was great.

Besides that, he was hired by Chick Corea--filled the slot in between Stanley Clarke and John Pattitucci. Anyone who hangs with that crowd is serious.

That being said: SteveB, what was the problem?

I actually got to see Bunny with Chic way back in 79,and he was outstanding !

[steve21]

I was at the Hollywood Carvin store, playing a Carvin... it was one of his sig basses. Bunny was actually there, came up to me and asked how I liked it. I said the neck felt good. Seemed like a nice enough fellow.

[MysticMichael]

First time I ever heard Bunny play was at a Chick Corea gig in Orlando, Florida - in like, 1981 or so. I'd never heard of the cat before - and Bunny was really young at the time. So initially, there was this sense of "who the heck is this kid playing the bass?"

Well, it didn't take long before people in the audience started sitting up and taking notice. By about 20 minutes into the show, Bunny was starting to get really hot. So Chick just kept letting him solo as much as he wanted - which was a lot. By the end of the show, Bunny was soloing on just about every tune - and usually soloing two or three times on each tune.

No doubt Bunny was the star of the show that night - and I think practically everybody in the room was really impressed with him...

MM

[lug]

Originally Posted by steve21

I was at the Hollywood Carvin store, playing a Carvin... it was one of his sig basses. Bunny was actually there, came up to me and asked how I liked it. I said the neck felt good. Seemed like a nice enough fellow.

I have one, LOVE LOVE LOVE the neck profile. My favorite 5 string neck ever.

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Originally Posted by hands5

I actually got to see Bunny with Chic way back in 79,and he was outstanding !

For a moment I thought "When did BB replace Bernard Edwards?"

Bunny is a great bassist. The first time I saw his name was in Chick Corea's "Tap Step" album credits. He laid some great tracks with his fretless, including the title song, which was very popular in my country so many years ago because it was used in a TV commercial announcing a sports store. I find his style of playing very uncomfortable, though:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj8IJlzsdWQ

[Stumpy]

Not all great players are great teachers. He IS a great player. But, I am not sure that it follows that he is a great teacher.

Sorry for your pain in the lesson.