I HAD A CONVERSATION: “THE HIGHER SELF” BUNNY BRUNEL PODCAST PART 2

KenHada-ihadaconversation-

BY KEN HADA:

This is the second part of Bunny Brunel’s interview with Ken Hada.  Bunny talks about iconic jazz instrumentalists Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Tony Williams, and more. He discusses EDM, RAP, PRODUCERS, AND DJ’S. And the music business, studio recording, music companies today, and how to play your instrument at the highest level.

Check out the interview here:  https://www.ihadaconversation.com/bunny-brunel-part-2/

Ken Hada’s I HAD A CONVERSATION with Bunny Brunel

FOLLOW WHAT EXCITES YOU WITH NO EXPECTATION BUNNY BRUNEL

Follow what excites you with no expectation – and do not listen to other people about the way you want to do things because thats their beliefs not your beliefs”

Bunny Brunel Talks about food and cooking, his education, French studio musicians, Kaylene Peoples and “Romantic Bossa-Nova,”  and his music.

Listen to the Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/i-had-a-conversation/id1370265820?mt=2

Original Source:  https://www.ihadaconversation.com/follow-what-excites-you-with-no-expectation-bunny-brunel/

Transformation for Success with Barbra Young – An Interview with Bunny Brunel

Episode Description

barbara-young=bunny-brunel-july3-2018-interview
Barbara Young Interviews Bunny Brunel

Join Dr. Young’s interview with the famous 2-time Grammy-nominee Bunny Brunel, a French-born American bass player who is one of the few bass players alive who conceived, designed, and constructed his own electric upright bass; the Bunny Brunel Electric Upright Bass (BBEUB). Bunny shares his transformational journey from a small boy in France, whose first instrument was a piano and at age 20 began playing with Chick Corea for almost a decade. He has since played bass with numerous jazz artists over the years. Jazz lovers and others will not want to miss this inspiring and remarkable interview with a man of many talents.

Listen to the Podcast:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/transformation-for-success/id968803306?mt=2

Original Source:
https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/108043/an-interview-with-the-all-time-great-jazz-bassist-mrbunny-brunel

 

108 Rock Stars Presents: Bunny Brunel NAMM 2018

For all you loving our NAMM Interview series, we’re excited to share our next installment! This time, Lisa S. Johnson and Lonn Friend are chatting with Bunny Brunel, an iconic bass guitarist who has played with some of jazz’s greatest. He talks about what it’s like to build your own bass, and the powerful connection that brings to you and your instrument. (This interview took place During NAMM 2018 in January, Youtube video posted May 17, 2018.

 

NAMM FOUNDATION 2018: JAZZ GREAT BUNNY BRUNEL ON GROWING UP IN FRANCE AND HIS MUSICAL INFLUENCES

Talking Up Music Education is a podcast from The NAMM Foundation that shares news and stories about music education. Episode 45 includes an interview with bass guitarist Bunny Brunel. The podcast was one of many recorded and broadcast live from The 2018 NAMM Show; other interviews include Hunter Hayes, OK Go, Vanessa Carlton and more.

“Just keep practicing and focusing on what you want to achieve,” said Brunel. “Do not listen to anybody. It’s your life. If you listen to somebody else…it’s not going to happen.”

Brunel’s musical journey was anything but a straight line to playing alongside jazz legends Chick Correa, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter. In this episode the two-time Grammy-nominated bass player shared his journey from teaching himself to play piano as a child in France, to attending École Hoteliere de Nice for hospitality, and to becoming an advanced student of the upright bass at the Conservatory in Nice.

Original Source:
https://www.nammfoundation.org/articles/2018-04-21/jazz-great-bunny-brunel-growing-france-and-his-musical-influences

BASS MUSICIAN: Bunny Brunel LTD BB-1004 Signature 4-String Bass Review

If I had to choose one word for the Bunny Brunel LTD BB-1004 Signature 4-String it would be – beautiful! – Beautiful in looks, tone, and playability.

The LTD BB-1004 is Bass 2.0, having ‘everything you need for anything and everything’ bass!

Let’s start off with Bunny Brunel himself.

Bunny has played with numerous Jazz greats such as Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Stevie Wonder, and many others.

The Bunny Brunel LTD BB-1004 Signature is a true workhorse of a bass and was designed with working bassists in mind.

The tone is clean, punchy, and defined. Playability is second to none. The 34” three-piece maple asymmetrical neck with the neck thru configuration is sleek and fast, not too thin, just right and made complete with a 24 fret Ebony fingerboard. The tone is a combination of the alder body with a quilted maple top, along with Aguilar passive pickups and the Aguilar OBP-3EQ 3 band EQ. The bridge pickup is the Aguilar 4J HC and the neck pickup is the Aguilar MM.

 Original Source:
https://bassmusicianmagazine.com/2018/01/bunny-brunel-ltd-bb-1004-signature-4-string-bass-review/

AGENDA October 2017 and Marc Mennigmann – The Hands Project

Marc Mennigmann | hands-project.de | November 10, 2017

Online Mention:

“When I was at the Warwick Bass Camp 2016 I met Kaylene Peoples, a recording artist and Editor in Chief of Fashion & Lifestyle Magazine AGENDA. We did a nice interview which was released in the first monthly print issue of the Magazine, October 2017. Here is the complete interview.”  Marc Mennigmann, The Hands Project

“HANDS” BY MARC MENNIGMANN

From the magazine:

THERE’S TRUTH IN BLACK & WHITE

Interviewed by Kaylene Peoples | Responses by Marc Mennigmann

Photographer Marc Mennigmann from Isalon, Germany, documents in the rare medium of black and white film. He uses a Leica Mononchrom, which is not only a complex camera, but is known for its rich optics that cater to alternative mediums in photography. Mennigmann chooses to spend his time capturing his subjects in their rawest form, bringing out their essence and exposing a vintage grittiness only seen in rare instances today with the explosion of digital color photography. A purist in the deepest sense, he has started a project called HANDS. Marc has spent hours photographing the hands of famous musicians around the world, and the simplicity of a black and white photograph does his subjects the most justice.

(This article includes the hands of Bunny Brunel)

Please read more from the original source: http://hands-project.de/2017/11/10/hands-featured-agenda-fashion-lifestyle-magazine/

Bunny Brunel & Cab to Perform at the Back Bay Bistro in Newport Beach on Saturday, October 17, 2017

bunny-brunel-chef-coatSaturday, October 14, 2017, Bunny Brunel will be performing with his band CAB and preparing a special entree for the evening. most people only know Bunny as a world famous musician, not a gourmet chef, well-versed in French cuisine.  But he  graduated from l’Ecole Hôtelière de Nice and even served royalty before he became the internationally famous Bunny Brunel, the bass player. On Agenda magazine is a video of Bunny demonstrating his culinary skills as he prepares “Chicken a la Creme.”

The details for Saturday’s event are as follows:

Back Bay Bistro Welcomes Legendary Musician and French Gourmet Chef Bunny Brunel, for an evening of jazz and a dinner inspired by the South of France.

The dinner concert will feature an all-star band of highly acclaimed jazz performers, Bunny’s signature seafood main course with a curated wine pairing, and the panoramic view of the Newport Beach Back Bay.

6:00pm: Doors | 7:30pm: Show

PURCHASE TICKETS

Enjoy a 3-Course Dinner featuring Bunny’s Signature Dish – Dinner Package $75 Includes Reserved Floor Seating
Starter – Choice of
Pumpkin Spice Soup with Crème Fraiche or
Bistro Salad with Mixed Greens, Candied Pecans, Dried Cranberries, Feta, and Champagne Vinaigrette

Entrée – Choice of
Bunny Brunel Gambas À L’armoricaine
Jumbo Shrimp Sautéed in a Tomato Cognac Sauce served over Ratatouille

Coffee Crusted Prime New York
Served with Fresh Baby Arugula, Heirloom Tomatoes and Pointe Reyes Bleu Cheese

Polenta Portobello Stack
Pan Seared Vegan Polenta, Portobello Mushrooms, and Heirloom Tomato Stacks over Grilled Vegetables

Dessert – Choice of
Pumpkin Spice Crème Brûlée or
Chocolate Molten Cake

Bar seating: $20
Floor seating: $30
VIP Package: $50
(VIP includes signed CD by Bunny Brunel, band meet & greet and photo opportunity)

Note: Two Drink Minimum per person, unless dinner reservation made. Dinner reservations guarantee priority seating, in front of general admission seating and with priority stage viewing. Ticket prices do not include cost of dinner.

Read the news release: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/10/prweb14801552.htm

Bunny Brunel Featured in “Bassiste” France Issue 72 – Translated to English

Basiste pg 26-27

THIS IS A BASSIST ALBUM FOR BASS PLAYERS!

By Paolo Coccina

How did an album like this come about?

The idea was born quite a while back when Stanley and I talked about it some time ago.  Because of busy schedules, it took us a very long time to finish – It took us five years, with getting all the different musicians to participate. A lot of overdubs were made possible thanks to the internet. Steve Bailey and Victor Wooten recorded their parts at their own studios and uploaded the tracks that I included in the mix. Others like Armand Sabal-Lecco recorded at my studio (Gigi’s Studio) where most of the album was recorded, but we also used Stanley’s studio for most of his parts, as well as Billy Sheehan’s. Recording at those different studios also helped contribute to the extra time spent finishing up the project.

Bassiste Magazine Features Bunny Brunel
Bunny Brunel is featured in the June 2017 Issue.

Besides Josquin Des Prés and Hadrien Feraud, who reside in California, I guess that for all the French musicians involved everything was done through the internet?

That’s right! I wanted to have Marc Berteaux; he is a fantastic bass player that never got the attention that he deserves. He plays a long solo at the end of “Freedom Jazz Dance.”

I wanted to do something special for the city of my birth place “Nice” with the title “Bay of the Angels” that is the name of the the bay in the front of Nice. For this title, I asked some musicians from Nice to play, including Alex Perdigon (trombone), Eric Giausserand (trumpet), and the bassists Tony Bonfils, Fifi Chayeb, and Dominique Bertram; as well as the drummer Steve Ferrone, who used to live in Nice. We went to the classical conservatory together.

Why two versions for that title?

Stanley wanted to have a shorter version for radio air play.

You co-wrote a title with Victor Wooten and Stanley. How did you do that?

If we take the first title “Nothing But The Bass,” which is a play on words on “Nothing but the best,” Stanley came up with some chords on the piano that I took and made the title using each of the different parts and solos sections. My daughter Gigi helped me with the melody of the bridge, that is why her name is mentioned in the credits.

On “Bass Ball” we also found a new version of “For You To Play” that was originally record on the album of the same title back in 1994.

That’s right, this tune was composed by my ex-wife Nicol Mecerova, an opera singer that made the melody of “For Me to Play.” Because I composed it on the Piccolo Bass Synth, I thought that it would be great to record it again with Stanley on the piccolo [bass] as well. He overdubbed the melody on the upright bass with the arco, and played a great solo with it.

My piccolo bass is a 5 string tuned E-A-D-G-C, it’s great to play chords.

Aren’t you afraid that people will say: It’s a bass player album for bass Players?

No, on the contrary; this IS a Bass player album for bass players! That is why we called it “Bass Ball.” There are going to be a Bass Ball 2 and 3 because there are more bass players that need to be presented to the public.

We are happy to hear that. You are doing a great job producing this. Nobody will complain!

This type of album helps connect the new generation of talent with the already established talent. I think that this is very important. I remember when I discovered Eddie Gomez on the live recording of Bill Evans at the Montreaux Jazz Festival, he showed me that I was in the right direction and that it was possible to do what I wanted to do. After that, there were many more for example such as Stanley Clarke who was with the original band Return To Forever; and also . . . it was Jaco Pastorius that offered me the challenge of playing melodies.

It looks like you play a lot of fretless on this album?

I do play fretless most of the time. If I don’t slide it sounds like a fretted bass but I do play my 4-string fretted on Gigi, for example.

Yes, lets talk about equipment. You left Carvin to play ESP now?

Carvin makes fantastic instruments but the problem is that they only sell in the US, they do not really distribute around the world; and they never copied my original design that I made for Gibson in 1986. By the way, my longtime student Kyle Eastwood  has 3 or 4 of those Bunny Brunel Gibsons.

ESP, on contrary, agreed to make my basses exactly the way I designed them. They are making a 5-string fretted, a 5-string Fretless, and a 4-string Fretted. All the ESP basses I designed have Aguilar pickups and electronics. I do not have any 6-string basses. I don’t like the sound of the hi C. I’d rather go up on the G string to play the high notes; the sound is better.

And for the amplification?

In the studio I use the ART preamp for my mixing board; and on stage I use an EDEN Amp system. I used to have a lot of effects a long time ago, but now I only use Digitech pedals such as PB 200 and for intimate venues PB80.

Basiste pg28-29
Bunny Brunel Featured In the French Magazine “Bassiste” June 2017 Issue #72

Did you plan to tour to advertise the album?

We are giving some concerts this summer. But we are thinking of getting to different place with a rhythm section, and inviting some bass players who are in the area to join us.

Interesting. Do you have any plans with the group CAB with Tony MacAlpine and Dennis Chambers?

Not right now, but I started recording an album with Patrick Moraz and Virgil Donati for a new group called “INOW.”  I am very excited about the project. Patrick’s music is complicated, but very beautiful.

It’s reminiscent of when it all started for me. Remember . . . it  is because of Patrick Moraz that I ended up with Chick Corea in 1978 when I was playing at the Ronnie Scott Club in London with Tania Maria and André Ceccarelli.

You’ve been really involved in writing a lot of books and videos, teaching the bass. What are you doing now?

I always give lessons, and because of the internet I can give lessons to anybody anywhere in the world now, using Skype. I am in the process of developing  an app [for bass lessons] for smart phones and tablets

Back to original news item:

Bunny Brunel Featured in BASSISTE Magazine in France Issue 72

Bassiste Magazine Features Bunny Brunel
Basiste pg 26-27
Bunny Brunel Featured In the French Magazine “Bassiste” June 2017 Issue #72

Bunny Brunel has been making news his whole life, but lately, has been featured in several bass magazines for his brilliant CD Bass Ball, which he co-produced with friend and fellow bass player Stanley Clarke.  Brunel was recently featured in Bass Player Magazine June 2017 and Bassiste Magazine in France.  The album Bass Ball was released earlier this year and has made a huge impression on the bass player community by being the first of its kind.  Never before has a CD featured so many celebrated bass players both here in the US and abroad (Bunny’s home country France).  Check out the issue available in print and digitally: http://bassistemagazine.com/produit/numero-72/

“C’est aussi plutôt relevé du côté français, à commencer par le nouveau coup d’éclat de l’étonnant Bunny Brunel. En effet, associé avec rien moins que l’immense Stanley Clarke, le Niçois exilé à Los Angeles, vient de faire paraître Bass Ball, un album exceptionnel sur lequel on retrouve le gratin de la basse internationale dont un bon paquet de Français.”

Basiste pg28-29
Bunny Brunel Featured In the French Magazine “Bassiste” June 2017 Issue #72

Read the English Translation of the entire interview: