Bunny Berigan Is Quoted

About His Music

By Julie Flemming

Born on November 2, 1908, 102 years ago, Bunny Berigan began his life in Hilbert, Wisconsin. He was only about eight months old when his father changed jobs and the Berigan family, consisting of his mother, father, brother Don, and Bunny moved to Fox Lake, Wisconsin. Bunny’s maternal grandparents lived in Fox Lake and his father’s parents lived on a farm outside of Fox Lake. It was in this small town where the sickly baby, Bunny, was nurtured and raised to become one of the world’s renowned trumpet players. His music is still being listened to by hundreds of people who love music, some calling it Swing, some calling it Jazz, some calling it Ragtime, and some referring to it as Big Band.

An article written by Bunny about music was published in the Wisconsin State Journal approximately twelve years after Bunny was a musician in Madison, Wisconsin. Bunny had moved to Madison on the urging of his parents who hoped that in Madison he might continue his schooling and graduate from High School. Although this was not to be the case, the move to Madison proved to be just what Bunny needed on his road to becoming the “Internationally Know Musician” that he was. In Madison he was sent by a booking agent to Ned Ivey who taught him how to read music well. Bunny had already succeeded in playing well….. well enough to get jobs with dance bands and pit orchestras and in places gone to by the University of Wisconsin students. Bunny fit right in with the University Crowd.

Bunny said of those days “We played swing music then too. The only difference is that we didn’t call it by that name. Rhythm music hasn’t changed since the days I was in Madison. We played with five or six-pieces that usually consisted of something like a piano, trumpet, banjo, saxophone and traps. There was no leader and no written arrangement.” He went on to say “All that was necessary was for the pianist to tap out his one, two, one, two in the tempo desired and the rhythm followed of its own accord, purely on the impulse of the players.”

Bunny went on to write that “it was the unerring understanding of each player that, after the first chorus was played without embellishment, purely as a ‘statement of theme,’ the next chorus would be given to free interpretation and each man could play as the spirit moved him…. . everything working together.”

He said, “And the rhythm today is identical with that of twelve years or so ago. It is that which inspires a feeling for dancing or for keeping time with one’s foot. It is a matter of spirit and inner feeling which no composer could indicate on a written score. It was just played.”

From the time of Bunny Berigan until now the music is the same. Perhaps that is why people still enjoy the wonderful emotions in Bunny Berigan’s music and can identify with famous jazz players of today. As Bunny said “Call it swing today, ragtime yesterday, jazz in all ages—It’s the same thing to me and a lot of fun.”

The Bunny Berigan Jazz Jubilee event will take place in Fox Lake, WI, on May 18 – 20, 2012. More information can be had by calling Julie Flemming at 920-928-6094 or looking at the web site www.bunnyberiganjazzjubilee.com