Man of few words catered his musical talent to others' liking

by Lee B. Roberts

Tuesday, July 3, 2007 2:20 AM CDT

JOURNAL TIMES

Even those who knew him best describe John Bunic as a quiet, private man. The longtime leader of the John Bunic Big Band, who died on June 27 at age 75, may have been a man of few words, yet he reached out to thousands of people in Southeastern Wisconsin and beyond with his music.

In the nearly 50 years Bunic led his 18 piece swing/jazz band, he not only encouraged and inspired musicians of all ages but also brought much joy to his audiences by playing the music they loved, according to Joe Pulice, a Racine drummer who played with Bunic for 48 years.

"John always wanted to make sure that the music he played was what people wanted to hear," Pulice said. "If we were playing a dance and young people came out on the floor, he'd pull out some light rock tunes. Or, if the crowd was made up of older people, he'd say 'Let's pull out some Glenn Miller tunes.' He enjoyed pleasing everyone."

That included the musicians who played with him, said Pulice, who served as the band's manager for 25 years.

"John also knew what the guys in the band liked to play," he said. "He'd always have the charts picked out before a job, but when he'd see the crowd, he might change things around."

A lifelong Kenosha resident, Bunic and his Big Band spent a good amount of time in Racine, rehearsing and performing. For most of 20 years, their weekly rehearsals took place at the club that is now McAuliffe's Pub on Meachem Road. And folks from around the area would come to hear them play, for free.

J.J. McAuliffe, who has owned the club for nine years, said he was thrilled to have Bunic and company playing at his establishment.

"It was nice to be able to draw an older crowd on those nights, but what was really cool was when a young, spike-haired kid would bring his grandparents in to see the band. There he'd be, sitting at the table, with grandma and grandpa, and he was really getting into the music," said McAuliffe.

"I've had a lot of great bands play here over the years, but the one I've bragged the most about in that time is having a full big band play here every week. Having the John Bunic Big Band play here on Tuesday nights is one of the things I am most proud of."

Giving experience

A saxophonist himself, Bunic was an advocate of giving young musicians a chance. He often would give kids just out of high school the opportunity to play with the band, Pulice said.

"A lot of guys got their first break with John's band," he said. "I'd tell him about a young guy who wanted to join the band and he'd ask me how much experience he had. I'd tell him 'Not much, John, but he has a lot of potential.' And then he'd say 'Good. We'll give him the experience.' "

Tom Meredith, of the Maresh-Meredith Funeral Home, was one of those youngsters. Bunic hired him to play trumpet with the Big Band soon after he graduated from high school in 1977, and he continued to play with Bunic, off and on, until the Big Band stopped playing earlier this year, due to its leader's poor health.

"It was a pleasure to play with them because it was a learning experience," said Meredith. "John gave a lot of people the opportunity to play. And he always tried to continue to challenge us with new music. He wanted to keep things lively for the guys."

Bunic's calm demeanor made him an easy person to work with, the trumpet player said.

"He was a quiet man, but he knew what to do to get the band to sound good."

Musical family

He was also an inspiration as a leader, said Pulice, adding that Bunic taught him much about dealing with people.

"Even though he didn't say much, he offered a lot of encouragement," Pulice said. "He was the type of guy, that when you got a nod or a smile from him, you knew you'd done a good job."

In addition to his work with the Big Band, Bunic was director of the Kenosha Pops Concert Band for 25 years. He also taught music at Kenosha area high schools. A graduate of Bradford High School, his college studies included a bachelor's degree from Dominican College and a Master's of Music degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. It was after serving in the U.S. Air Force, where he played sax in the Air Force Big Band and the Jazz Band, that he formed the John Bunic Big Band, which he was devoted to for the rest of his life. Other than missing a few Tuesday rehearsals during hunting season each year, Bunic was there in front of the band, week after week, until February of this year, when he became too ill to do so, Meredith said.

"He had a small family, and I think he considered the band part of his family," he said. "Sure, we were all there to play music, but on top of that, it was also about the camaraderie of the guys. He really liked to just get together and play."

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