Vernice "Bunky" Green (born April 23, 1935) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

alto saxophonist The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B tenor ...

and educator.

Biography

Green was raised in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...

, Wisconsin, where he played the alto saxophone, mainly at a local club called "The Brass Rail". Green's first break came when he was hired in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

by Charles Mingus as a replacement for

Jackie McLean John Lenwood "Jackie" McLean (May 17, 1931 – March 31, 2006) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator, and is one of the few musicians to be elected to the ''DownBeat'' Hall of Fame in the year of their deat ...

in the 1950s. His brief stint with the bass player and composer made a deep impression. Mingus' sparing use of

notation In linguistics and semiotics, a notation is a system of graphics or symbols, characters and abbreviated expressions, used (for example) in artistic and scientific disciplines to represent technical facts and quantities by convention. Therefore, ...

and his belief that there was no such thing as a wrong note had a lasting influence on Green's own style. Green moved to

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, where he performed with players such as Sonny Stitt, Louie Bellson, Andrew Hill,

Yusef Lateef Yusef Abdul Lateef (born William Emanuel Huddleston; October 9, 1920 – December 23, 2013) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya Community in America. Although Lateef's main instruments ...

, and Ira Sullivan. Originally strongly influenced by

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

, Green spent a period reassessing his style and studying, emerging with a highly distinctive sound that has deeply influenced a number of younger saxophonists, including Steve Coleman and Greg Osby. Green gradually withdrew from the public eye to develop a career as a jazz educator. He taught at

Chicago State University Chicago State University (CSU) is a predominantly black public university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1867 as the Cook County Normal School, it was an innovative teachers college. Eventually the Chicago Public Schools assumed control of t ...

from 1972–1989, and in the 1990s took up the directorship of the jazz studies program at the

University of North Florida The University of North Florida (UNF) is a public research university in Jacksonville, Florida. It is part of the State University System of Florida and is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Sc ...

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

, where he taught and acted as chair of Jazz Studies until his retirement in 2011. He has also served a term as the president of the International Association for Jazz Education and been elected to the Jazz Education Hall of Fame. Green recorded several albums during the 1960s, including ''Step High'' (featuring

Wynton Kelly Wynton Charles Kelly (December 2, 1931 – April 12, 1971) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He is known for his lively, blues-based playing and as one of the finest accompanists in jazz. He began playing professionally at the age of ...

and

Jimmy Cobb Wilbur James "Jimmy" Cobb (January 20, 1929May 24, 2020) was an American jazz drummer. He was part of Miles Davis's First Great Sextet. At the time of his death, he had been the band's last surviving member for nearly thirty years. He was a ...

), ''Playing for Keeps'', and ''

Soul in the Night ''Soul in the Night'' is an album by saxophonists Sonny Stitt and Bunky Green recorded in Chicago in 1966 and released on the Cadet Records, Cadet label.Sonny Stitt). In addition to a handful of records as a leader on the Vanguard label during the 1970s, he also recorded several albums with

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such widely celebrate ...

, including ''

Summit Meeting A summit meeting (or just summit) is an international meeting of heads of state or government, usually with considerable media exposure, tight security, and a prearranged agenda. Notable summit meetings include those of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Win ...

'' and ''

Time Capsule A time capsule is a historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a deliberate method of communication with future people, and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians. The preservation of holy relics dates ...

''. His 1989 session on the Delos label, '' Healing the Pain'', commemorates the death of his parents and was awarded the coveted 5-star rating from '' DownBeat'' magazine. Green's studio album, ''

Another Place "Another place" or "the other place" is a euphemism used in many bicameral parliaments using the Westminster system, including Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. A member of one house will not usually refer directly to the other, but re ...

'' (which features the rhythm section of

Jason Moran Jason Moran may refer to: * Jason Moran (criminal) (1967–2003), Australian mobster * Jason Moran (musician) Jason Moran (born January 21, 1975) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator involved in multimedia art and theatrical inst ...

Lonnie Plaxico Lonnie Plaxico (born September 4, 1960) is an American jazz double bassist. Biography Plaxico was born in Chicago, Illinois, into a musical family, and started playing the bass at the age of twelve, turning professional at fourteen (playing bot ...

, and Nasheet Waits), also received a 5-star review from ''Down Beat''. In July 2008, his recording ''The Salzau Quartet Live at

Jazz Baltica Jazz Baltica is a jazz festival which was started in 1990. Up until 2011 it was held every summer in Schloss Salzau (Salzau Palace) near Kiel, Germany, and the coast of the Baltic Sea. In 2009 the festival was directed by Bengt-Arne Wallin and in ...

'' was released.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* ''

My Babe "My Babe" is a Chicago blues song and a blues standard written by Willie Dixon for Little Walter. Released in 1955 on Checker Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records, the song was the only Dixon composition ever to become a number one R&B single ...

'' (

Vee-Jay Vee-Jay Records is an American record label founded in the 1950s, located in Chicago and specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. The label was founded in Gary, Indiana in 1953 by Vivian Carter and James C. Bracken, a ...

, 1965) – recorded in 1960 * '' Testifyin' Time'' ( Argo, 1965) * '' Playin' for Keeps'' ( Cadet, 1966) * ''

The Latinization of Bunky Green ''The Latinization of Bunky Green'' is an album by saxophonist Bunky Green recorded in Chicago and released by the Cadet label in 1967.

'' (Cadet, 1967) – recorded in 1966 * '' Transformations'' (

Vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives fr ...

, 1977) – recorded in 1976 * ''

'' with

, James Moody, Clark Terry, and

Roland Prince Roland Prince was an Antiguan jazz guitarist. He was born in St. John's on August 27th, 1946. He died on July 15, 2016, aged 69. Discography As leader *1976: ''Color Vision'' (with Virgil Jones, Frank Foster, Kenny Barron, Al Foster, Eddie Moore ...

(Vanguard, 1977) * ''

Visions Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain un ...

'' (Vanguard, 1978) * ''

Places We've Never Been ''Places We've Never Been'' is an album by saxophonist Bunky Green recorded in New York and released by the Vanguard label in 1979.Lyles, RBunky Green discographyaccessed August 6, 2019 Reception AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow stated: "The strong ...

'' (Vanguard, 1979) * ''Discover Jazz – Live! at the 1982 NAJE Convention'' with

Willie Thomas William Henry Thomas (22 March 1866 – 11 October 1921) was a Welsh international rugby union player who played club rugby for Llanelli and London Welsh. He was capped eleven times for Wales and captained the team on two occasions. In 1888, ...

(Mark, 1982) * ''In Love Again'' with Willie Thomas (Mark, 1987) * '' Healing the Pain'' ( Delos, 1990) * ''

'' (

Label Bleu Label Bleu is a French jazz record label founded by Michel Orier. Orier established the label in the mid-1980s in Amiens and soon after took over directorship of Amiens's cultural center, where he was able to build a recording studio. Label Bleu ...

, 2006) * ''The Salzau Quartet Live at Jazz Baltica'' (Traumton, 2008) *''

Apex The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional entities * Apex (comics), a teenaged super villainess in the Marvel Universe * Ape-X, a super-intelligent ape in the Squadron Supreme universe *Apex, ...

'' with

Rudresh Mahanthappa Rudresh Mahanthappa (born May 4, 1971) is a New York-based jazz alto saxophonist and composer. Biography Mahanthappa is the son of Indian emigrants to the U.S. He was born in Trieste, Italy as a result of his father's job in academia, but spent ...

( Pi, 2010)

As sideman

With

Fontella Bass Fontella Marie Bass (July 3, 1940 – December 26, 2012) was an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter best known for her number-one R&B hit " Rescue Me" in 1965. She has been nominated for a Grammy Award twice. Early life Fontella Bass was b ...

* "You'll Miss Me (When I'm Gone)" / "Don't Jump" with

Bobby McClure Bobby McClure (April 21, 1942 – November 13, 1992) was an American soul singer. Biography McClure was born in Chicago, Illinois. By the age of two his family had moved to St. Louis, where he sang in church and gospel groups in his youth. He ...

(Checker, 1965) * "Safe and Sound" (Checker, 1966) * "Recovery" / "Leave It in the Hands of Love" (Checker, 1966) * "I Can't Rest" / "Surrender" (Checker, 1966) * '' The New Look'' (Checker, 1966) With others * Eddie Harris, ''Lost Album Plus the Better Half'' (Vee-Jay, 1995) – recorded in 1962 *

, ''

'' (Vanguard, 1977) *

Herb Lance Herbert J. Lance (June 12, 1925 – November 7, 2006) was an American jazz, blues and gospel singer, songwriter, record producer, recording studio owner and radio DJ. As well as recording several hits himself in the late 1940s, he co-wrote ...

, ''The Comeback'' (Chess, 1966) *

Ben Sidran Ben Hirsh Sidran (born August 14, 1943) is an American jazz and rock keyboardist, producer, label owner, and music writer. Early in his career he was a member of the Steve Miller Band and is the father of Grammy-nominated musician, composer an ...

, '' Don't Let Go'' (Blue Thumb, 1974) * Travis Shook, ''Travis Shook'' (Columbia, 1993) *

The Soulful Strings The Soulful Strings were an American soul-jazz instrumental group formed in Chicago in 1966. Predominantly a studio band, the project was created and led by Richard Evans, a staff producer and musical arranger with the Chess Records subsidiary ...

, ''

Groovin' with the Soulful Strings ''Groovin' with the Soulful Strings'' is the second album by the American soul-jazz instrumental group the Soulful Strings. It was released in October 1967 on the Cadet record label, a subsidiary of Chess Records. The album includes the hit sing ...

'' (Cadet, 1967) *

Billy Stewart William Larry Stewart II (March 24, 1937 – January 17, 1970) was an American rhythm and blues singer and pianist who was popular during the 1960s. Biography Stewart was 12 years old when he began singing with his younger brothers Johnny, James ...

, ''Summertime'' (Chess, 1966) * Clark Terry, ''Having Fun'' (Delos, 1990)

External links

References

Faculty listings U. of N. Florida, Bunky Green
{{DEFAULTSORT:Green, Bunky 1935 births American jazz alto saxophonists American male saxophonists Living people University of North Florida faculty American jazz educators 21st-century American saxophonists 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Label Bleu artists Vanguard Records artists Cadet Records artists Musicians from Milwaukee