Do Not Disturb

While veteran jazz pianist John Bunch has always been of the swing era, he readily embraces bebop, the music of Duke Ellington and Dave Brubeck, and great show tunes. With a trio of guitarist Frank Vignola and bassist John Webber and no drummer, Bunch envisioned this combo ten years prior, recorded but did not release a session with them, and he revisits this format in 2009 with a wonderful result. Vignola fits perfectly with Bunch's highly melodic ideas, and gets him to improvise or accompany more than most "leaders," while they swim effortlessly through these timeless and full-bodied melodies of familiar mainstream jazz tunes and ballads. You might not expect Bunch to be adept at boogie-woogie, but there it is on the opening track, his original "John's Bunch," nor might you expect him to do a note-for-note perfect version of Charlie Parker's "Anthropology" in lockstep with Vignola. He unearths the title track, an Ellington blues/ballad, and pristinely interprets "Come Sunday," while versions of "Four" and "Doxy" are as laid-back and simplified as a relaxing day at the beach. There's absolutely no forced movement on Do Not Disturb, but rather an effortless swing and good feelings between these three excellent musicians, a testament to Bunch's long-lasting viability in authentic and substantive jazz modes. ~ Michael G. Nastos, Rovi