George Brunis

Another member of the famous New Orleans Brunies family, though he shortened the spelling of his name on the advice of a numerologist, Georg Brunis played alto horn in a family trio as an eight-year-old, and also with Papa Jack Laine's Reliance Brass Band. He switched to trombone at age ten, then moved to Chicago in 1920, where he played in Paul Mares' band. He later joined Mares' Friars Society Orchestra, which eventually became the New Orleans Rhythm Kings. He started a long recording and performing relationship with Ted Lewis in 1924, then became active in New York in 1935. Brunis played in several New York clubs, joined Muggsy Spanier's Ragtime Band in 1939, and played often with Eddie Condon, Lewis, and Art Hodes. He went back to Chicago in 1949, forming his own band, and held a residency at Club 1111 from 1951-1959. Brunis later led groups in Wisconsin and Ohio.