Bunny Brunel

Bunny Brunel is known in the jazz world for his melodic, groove-oriented music and  recordings.  He has collaborated with, performed, and continues to record with some of the most recognized names on this globe.  A musician’s musician, Brunel is celebrated as a fusion giant and one of the founding fathers of the jazz bass fusion movement.  Still performing and recording great music, the internationally celebrated Bunny Brunel takes on a new role as Editor at Large of Virtuoso Bass magazine.  His passion is to recognize and pay tribute to the “top of the food chain” in the world of bass!

From defining his signature style on fretless, upright, and electric basses, to authoring numerous instructional books on bass technique and theory, there is no end to Brunel’s musical mind.  But how many legendary virtuoso instrumentalists do you know who not only design their instruments, but build them, too?

Having designed for Gibson then Carvin for over 25 years, he also created and custom built the Rolls Royce of basses—the Bunny Brunel Electric Upright Bass (BBEUB).  And now Bunny designs his signature line for ESP Guitars.

Bunny Brunel during NAMM 2020, holding up his ESP Signature Bass. ©Firsttakepr

Bunny Brunel has composed mind-blowing music from the start of his career on his first album Touch to his latest, titled Bass Ball; and somewhere in the middle, his Band CAB earned a Grammy nomination for CAB 2 – Best Contemporary Jazz Album; and early in Brunel’s career as a member of Chick Corea’s Band, Secret Agent received a Grammy nomination. The endlessly talented Bunny Brunel collaborated and performed the theme for Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-winning masterpiece The Unforgiven.  Currently, Bunny is working on a new CAB album, and is wrapping up the sequel of Bass Ball with Bass Ball 2!   He’s doing this all while recording bass and producing on countless album projects.

Born in the South of France, Brunel’s first instrument was the piano, and because his mother was a huge jazz fan, he was exposed to jazz at a very young age. He was able to play jazz chords by ear.

Bunny attended the Classical Conservatory in Nice, France, to learn bowing technique, but was mostly a self-taught bass player who drew his influences from Sam Jones, Ray Brown, Ron Carter, Eddie Gómez, Miroslav Vítous, and Stanley Clarke.

In his early 20s, while playing at the world famous Ronnie Scott’s Club in London with Tania Maria, Yes/Moody Blues keyboardist Patrick Moraz introduced Bunny to fusion keyboardist Chick Corea. Once Chick heard Bunny play, a few months later he hired him to record on his album Secret Agent. Bunny played with Chick Corea for almost a decade, and has since played with Tony Williams, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Dizzy Gillespie, Al Jarreau, Stevie Wonder, Ziggy Marley, Gloria Estefan, Jack De Johnette, Natalie Cole, Stanley Clarke, Milt Jackson, Steve Grossman, and more. Bunny Brunel is a rare musician. He makes his bass sing.

Taking an active interest in helping bass players, Brunel regularly gives seminars on his unique approach to the instrument. He has written several books available through Mel Bay Publications, Hal Leonard Publications, as well as instruction DVDs.

A melodic writer, Bunny Brunel always found it necessary to create memorable melodic overtones fused with modal changes and dexterous playing. Hearing his music, transcends most recordings from the fusion genre simply because even after listening and being blown away by the execution and profound changes—as complex as his music is—you walk away humming his melodies. But you are cheating yourself if you haven’t seen him perform. Experiencing Bunny Brunel live in concert is transformative as well as spiritual. Nothing compares to the auditory sensory fulfillment when you drink in a performance by this masterful bass sorcerer!

“With a range of players and styles, Bunny Brunel & Friends – BASS BALL 2 is the perfect successor to the 20I7 release of the ‘historical’ BASS BALL, where prominent bass players got together for the first time on a solo album project. On BASS BALL 2, Bunny Brunel is joined by an all-star lineup, playing jazz, blues, reggae, funk, and world as he sets the landscape for this bass-led, groove-heavy ride!” – TheJazzFusion.com