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THE TRIALS, TRIBULATIONS, AND TRIUMPH OF
BUNNY BERIGAN
Mr. Trumpet by Michael P. Zirpolo
Copyright © 2011 Mr. Trumpet by Michael P. Zirpolo. All Rights Reserved.
Advance praise for Mr. Trumpet by Richard Claar
“This book is a biography of Bunny Berigan, but is it also the story of the swing era of American musical history, a time when, truly, musical giants strode the earth. Mr. Trumpet—The Trials, Tribulations, and Triumph of Bunny Berigan, by Michael P. Zirpolo, was published by Scarecrow Press on October 1, 2011. I recommend it most enthusiastically. This is an essential work for swing aficionados. It is impeccably researched, and well written; indeed it is one of the best biographies of a jazz musician that I've ever encountered, and I've read more than a few.
As a superb supplement, many previously unseen images are included in the photospread. In addition to shots of Bunny and his family members, one can view many of his talented sidemen including Buddy Rich, Georgie Auld, George Wettling, Dave Tough, Ray Conniff, Joe Lippmann (an outstanding arranger), Joe Bushkin, Don Lodice, Johnny Blowers, and Jack Sperling, among many others. And there are also photos of Bunny's colleagues and fellow legends—Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford, and the sultry chanteuse Lee Wiley (read the book).
Although Mr. Trumpet will undoubtedly be used as a reference book, it is also highly entertaining. There are many anecdotes from the golden age of swing in it, all masterfully told. It is insightful, truly revealing, occasionally of devastating depth. It is a uniquely American story; a tragedy that, ultimately, miraculously, is inspirational.”
Richard Claar, broadcaster and swing era historian, is a co-moderator of the world’s largest big band online discussion group under the auspices of the University of Colorado American Music Research Center Glenn Miller Archive. (For the full review written by Richard Claar, see below under "Reviews.")
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A biography of the jazz trumpeter Roland Bernard “Bunny” Berigan (1908-1942), by Michael P. Zirpolo, was published on October 1, 2011, by Scarecrow Press as a part of its “Studies in Jazz” series, in conjunction with the Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University. Its title is: Mr. Trumpet…The Trials, Tribulations, and Triumph of Bunny Berigan.
The story of Berigan's life resembles an ancient Greek tragedy: a heroic figure rises from obscurity to dizzying heights, touches greatness, becomes ensnared by circumstances, some beyond his control, others of his own making, and comes to a disastrous early end. Berigan was very much a man of his time and place, and was intimately involved in the commercial music/dance band/show business milieu of the 1930s and '40s in New York City and the eastern United States, where he worked. The story of his life necessarily includes an examination of the part of jazz history that is now known as the “Swing Era.” Berigan was a charismatic performer, one of the relatively few musicians in the history of jazz to advance the art. His trumpet artistry made a deep and lasting impression on almost everyone who heard him play. The body of recorded work he left continues to evoke a wide range of emotions in those who hear it.
This biography is an analysis of the life of Bunny Berigan that sets his story in the fullest possible context, and explains many heretofore misunderstood events in both Berigan's life, and in the Swing Era. The structure of the book is strictly chronological. That allows for an organic development of the exposition of the events of Berigan's life that can be easily followed and understood by a reader, even one with little or no knowledge of the music and musicians of the Swing Era. There are numerous explanations of Berigan's music in the book which are as non-technical as possible so they can be understood by the lay reader. Also included are appendices containing lists of all known broadcast/transcription recordings made by Bunny Berigan during the years he led his own bands (1936-1942). Many of these recordings have never been released commercially. There is also an appendix devoted to an explanation of Berigan's soundtrack recordings for the film Syncopation (1942). The book contains many photos that have never been published previously.
Those having questions about this book can contact the author at: mzirpolo@neo.rr.com
Mr. Trumpet the Trials, Tribulations and Triumph of Bunny Berigan has 550 pages, including a 24 page photospread which contains many previously unpublished images. The text is supported by hundreds of footnotes and references. Mr. Trumpet can be purchased at Amazon.com, or from numerous other online booksellers worldwide. To access the Amazon listing for Mr. Trumpet, go to Amazon.com Bunny Berigan Mr. Trumpet, or click on the "order now" box at the upper right.
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Michael P. Zirpolo is a practicing lawyer in Canton, Ohio. He has written numerous articles and given many lectures in the last fifteen years on jazz musicians from the swing era, including Duke Ellington (and his sidemen Sonny Greer and Russell Procope), Artie Shaw, Roy Eldridge, Tommy Dorsey, Gene Krupa, and Bunny Berigan. He has written criticisms of reissues of classic jazz recordings and of books about the music and musicians of the swing era. He has also written about the development of swing and the contributions to that development made by Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke. He is a longtime collector of jazz recordings from the 1920s to the 1980s, and has developed considerable skill in the art of digitally remastering vintage recordings. He is frequently consulted by writers and collectors of vintage jazz recordings from around the globe with questions about the music, recordings, and musicians of the swing era, and has appeared on radio and television discussing classic jazz. In addition to jazz and American popular song, he is a devotee of long form music. He can be contacted at: mzirpolo@neo.rr.com
For information about the Bunny Berigan photo search project, and about the "lost" recordings of Bunny Berigan, please go to the "contact" page.
"...About the trumpet players I admire...first, I'll name my boy Bunny Berigan. Now there's a boy I've always admired for his tone, soul, technique, his sense of phrasing and all. To me, Bunny can't do no wrong in music."
Louis Armstrong, Down Beat, September 1, 1941.
REVIEWS *****
The following are from reviews of Mr. Trumpet:
----From the Big Band Library website, November, 2011, by Christopher Popa:
"There have been intelligent articles, commentary, books, and record liner notes about Bunny Berigan in the past, but this new, panoramic biography by Michael P. Zirpolo...easily surpasses any previous efforts, and not simply because of its length. By seamlessly threading together so many facts, quotes, fragments, reasoned thoughts and opinions, it presents the fullest, truest picture of Berigan that can likely ever be."
"By piecing together many bits of information, ...(Zirpolo) was able to come to a deep understanding of Berigan. Throughout the 550 pages and 25 chapters, (he) provides, in an interesting narrative, all the necessary facts, and gives the work a proper and thorough context--something that has often been lacking in other book-length writings about the big bands. While as knowledgeable a swing aficionado as they come, he retains the objectivity needed to write the definitive biography of Berigan, and tells his story with understanding, compassion, and respect."
"(Zirpolo) recognized the scope of Berigan's talents, the importance of his artistic achievements, and his standing in the big band business way beyond the classic recording of 'I Can't Get Started.' Significantly, he explains or corrects many heretofore misunderstood events in Berigan's life... including how Berigan became an alcoholic, why his marriage was unsuccessful, the nature of his friendship with Tommy Dorsey, and his relationship with Music Corporation of America (MCA)."
"From cover to cover, Zirpolo's book has raised the jazz scholarship bar, and deserves a spot on the bookshelf along such pioneering and esteemed writers as Walter C. Allen, Whitney Balliett, John Chilton, D. Russell Connor, Stanley Dance, Chip Deffaa, Charles Delauney, Leonard Feather, John Flower, Edward F. Polic, Brian Rust, Gunther Schuller, Chris Sheridan, George T. Simon (whom, by the way, Zirpolo takes issue with for Simon's sometimes less-than-enthusiastic reviews of Berigan's talents), Richard M. Sudhalter, and Leo Walker."
"Big Band Library rating: supremely excellent."
The entire review written by Christopher Popa can be seen at: bigbandlibrary.com From the home page, click "current news," and then click "November 2011." Christopher Popa is a swing era expert and historian based in Chicago. *****
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----From a review written by Berigan fan and expert, Alvin I. Apfelberg, of Las Vegas, Nevada:
"I have just finished reading the biography of Bunny Berigan written by Michael P. Zirpolo. It is a masterwork of research and writing. Apart from the analysis of Berigan's life and his music, which is tremendous, 'Mr. Trumpet' is a chronicle of the swing era. The endnotes/footnotes in this book are remarkable because they really help the reader understand the context of Berigan's life. They alone would be worth the cost of the book. 'Mr. Trumpet' is a must-read for any person interested in fun in swingtime." *****
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----5.0 out of 5 stars... A Great Artist...A Great Book, November 27, 2011
By Richard Claar, of Springfield, Oregon:
This review is from: "Mr. Trumpet: The Trials, Tribulations, and Triumph of Bunny Berigan" (Studies in Jazz) (Hardcover; Scarecrow Press), posted on Amazon.com:
"Bing Crosby was the first multi-media superstar, supremely triumphant on radio, records, stage, and screen. If its development hadn't been delayed by WWII, he undoubtedly would have excelled in television as well.
In a world where this man, one of the most popular and influential artists of the preceding century, is now barely remembered, what are the chances for the likes of Bunny Berigan, a trumpet player who died almost 70 years ago? Better than one might think, thanks in no small measure to a masterful new biography that should pique interest and open ears. Published by Scarecrow Press, Mr. Trumpet: The Trials, Tribulations and Triumph of Bunny Berigan, is the work of Michael P. Zirpolo, a practicing attorney and jazz and swing connoisseur and scribe par excellence from Canton, Ohio.
Berigan was one of Crosby's contemporaries, colleagues (they recorded together on several occasions) and equals, at least in the realm of talent. Very few, of course, know the name now. But many would recognize his incomparable version of a particular song that I could mention (and will), one that pops up regularly in film and television as an evocation of the late 1930s and a certain sort of bittersweet yearning or loss.
Bunny deserves to be in the pantheon, a member of any hall of fame that would celebrate the Great American Songbook, its composers and practitioners, especially the jazz contingent. He was a magnificent, one-of-a-kind trumpet player, possessed of prodigious technique, almost reckless daring and imagination, and deep, sincere soul. He was a bandleader of considerable skill, despite reports to the contrary, and also sang on occasion, in an unpretentious and charming manner.
He played with the cream of jazz musicians of the 1930s and early '40s, including on record and in live performances, with Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Fats Waller, Billie Holiday, Artie Shaw, et al. He also enlivened countless commercial recordings with his fearless, emotional and exciting trumpeting, sides that would otherwise have been consigned to the nostalgia scrap heap long ago. No less an authority than Louis Armstrong named Bunny as a particular favorite.
Bunny Berigan died, at a very young age, in 1942.
Most people at this writing know Bunny Berigan, his music if not his name, as a result of his passionate, definitive rendition of a song titled "I Can't Get Started,." A sort of trumpet concerto with a movingly vulnerable vocal, it transformed a moderately successful song written by Vernon Duke and Ira Gershwin for the show the Zeigfeld Follies of 1936 (introduced by Bob Hope of all people), into a perennial favorite. Once heard, it is not easily forgotten.
The performance encapsulates the wonder and majesty of Bunny Berigan's playing, a demonstration of both his mastery of the entire range of his horn and his (and our own) emotions, ranging from despondency to exultation, all in the space of 5 minutes. A piece of music for the ages, Berigan's 1937 Victor recording of "I Can't Get Started" is as good as anything Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins, Jack Teagarden, Bix, Lester Young or Charlie Parker ever played.
But there was a lot more to Bunny Berigan's music, life and times than this one memorable recording. At long last, it is explored in depth, from all angles, in Zirpolo's massive new biography. The book is a must for the vintage jazz aficionado but it is not just for the cognoscenti. Anyone who is concerned with the human condition, a fascinating and long-vanished era of music and entertainment, the battle of commerce vs. creativity during the fabled Big Band Era, careless love and downhearted blues will be interested in reading Mr. Trumpet.
But I have yet to mention the 800 lb. gorilla in the room of Bunny Berigan's life. He drank. A lot.
He was dubbed the Miracle Man of Swing by a press agent. It is facile but true to state that it was often a miracle he could play at all in the condition he was usually in, suffering from the effects of alcoholism, other debilitating ailments (related and not) and exhaustion. Berigan himself, when asked how he did it, supposedly replied that he "practiced when he was loaded." This, of course, was an era when alcoholism was scarcely recognized as a disease or an affliction, when it was regarded as more of a loveable, tolerable weakness or even a joke (see W.C. Fields, of whom Bunny reportedly did a spot on impression).
Berigan's battles with the bottle are not skirted or glossed over in Zirpolo's book. In fact, they are more thoroughly covered here than in previous examinations of Bunny's life, with accuracy and compassion. But it is also very clearly revealed that there was much more to his premature demise than alcoholism.
There is much information in Mr. Trumpet that is new or previously unrevealed. In addition, from where, when and whom all the details in the book were obtained is clearly attributed. The usual assumptions, myths and legends are not repeated in Zirpolo's book. If it's not substantiated, it's not reported. Seldom have I encountered such attention to sourcing, verification and attention to detail in general. And Zirpolo's notes, addendum, and marginalia are illuminating and fascinating, invaluable: Berigan's milieu comes into crystal clarity as never before.
One reaches for superlatives when attempting to portray Bunny's playing and its emotional impact. One also struggles when it comes to Michael Zirpolo's new book about Bunny. Like all art, it is better experienced than described. But Zirpolo does better than most.
As good as Robert Dupuis's Berigan book of a decade or so ago was (and it was very good indeed), Mr. Trumpet: The Trials, Tribulations and Triumph of Bunny Berigan by Michael P. Zirpolo is nothing short of definitive. A scholarly work that was meticulously researched, it is also immensely entertaining.
I could not be more enthusiastic or recommend more heartily this heartbreaking but ultimately inspirational recounting of Berigan's star-crossed life. His music still moves and swings and inspires. That it is still enjoyed and cherished is the triumph." *****
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---Dennis M. Spragg
Glenn Miller Archive
American Music Research Center
University of Colorado, Boulder
"Mr. Trumpet, The Trials, Tribulations and Triumph of Bunny Berigan"
December 3, 2011
"From time to time, the opportunity comes along to praise the dedication and hard work of a respected acquaintance. This is an especially pleasant opportunity when a book exceeds the already high expectations that one may have had in advance of publication. Knowing the writer and the subject matter led me to expect nothing but the best and most informative read. However, having read and considered the contents of the work, I can enthusiastically say that I have just finished an impressive work of professional scholarship that will stand as one of the rare and essential histories of jazz and the big band era.
"Mr. Trumpet, The Trials, Tribulations and Triumph of Bunny Berigan" has been published by Scarecrow Press, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc., Lanham, Maryland. It is Publication No. 64 in the "Studies of Jazz" Series.
This book is the comprehensive and indispensable biography of Roland Bernard "Bunny" Berigan. The author is Michael Zirpolo.
Anyone interested in Bunny Berigan, his contemporaries, jazz and big band history will be riveted to this book from the moment that they open it. Michael Zirpolo has captured the essence of his subject. Not only does Michael's love and respect for Bunny create a very enjoyable read, his attention to detail and precision result in a most informative, thorough and balanced tour-de-force. The biography includes numerous previously unpublished photographs and a comprehensive broadcast discography.
Over years of dedicated study, Michael has thoughtfully assembled information from numerous sources and has unlocked valuable documentation from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and the Fox Lake Public Library among many other sources.
The reader follows the life and career of Bunny Berigan from his beginnings in Fox Lake, Wisconsin. We learn of Berigan's Irish and German ancestry and the effect of his family and upbringing on the direction that he would pursue. For the next 500 or so pages we are taken to the world of Bunny Berigan, Hal Kemp, Paul Whiteman, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and many other giants of jazz.
Michael takes us through the history of Berigan the talent as leader, sideman, soloist and improviser. There are many aspects to his associations that the reader will not have known or associations that were different or of longer duration and depth than the reader will have previously understood. Michael pulls no punches in a balanced and thoughtful presentation of Berigan's character, challenges and health issues. What is especially poignant is the story of Berigan's marriage, children and devotion to family which no one, including the late George T. Simon, has previously documented with such honesty and tenderness.
What greatly impresses someone currently writing their own manuscript are the detailed chapter notes that Michael has assiduously assembled. The focus and level of detail that is presented is incredible. The chapter notes include dozens of insightful observations about many people, events, recordings and venues that in themselves are more than worth adding the book to anyone's jazz and big band collection. My knowledge of details has been increased ten -fold by Michael's attention to detail.
From my specific vantage point, a very minor quibble is that it would have been interesting to learn something more of Berigan's presence with the first Glenn Miller recording session. However, we do learn a great deal about vocalists Kathleen Lane and Gail Reese and their associations with Berigan, which paralleled their associations with the then-struggling Miller.
Michael Zirpolo has captured the story of Bunny Berigan in an entertaining and informative read. I will not go on and give away all the details or the plot but suffice to say that there are revelations and surprises. My personal experience has been that with this book my understanding of an essential personality and talent of jazz and big band history has come to life in way that my superficial and anecdotal knowledge of the man from other accounts and recordings had never done justice to. I suspect that everyone else interested in the subject matter will come away feeling the same way.
Our appreciation for Bunny Berigan, his talent, place in American music history and stature as a giant of jazz has thus been lovingly established and confirmed for all time by his devoted biographer Michael Zirpolo.
Michael's work is a monumental contribution to jazz history which I highly recommend without reservation and with profound respect and appreciation."
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"Michael Zirpolo's book is an immense blessing: it is the book on Bunny Berigan that we have been waiting for. Every page has a new story -- funny, revealing, or sad -- about this man who threw himself into his music so whole-heartedly that he played more in his brief lifetime than six or seven other (more well-behaved) musicians. But the book is also a Wicked Tempter, so beware! I have it on my kitchen table and whenever I walk by, "Mr. Trumpet" beckons to me, I read two pages, entranced, and I have to tear myself away by brute force to get on with the less entrancing parts of everyday life. Intoxicating, addictive, a good read, a page-turner . . . you name it. I wanted to say this now, right away, so that others could get hooked, too! " ---Michael Steinman "Jazz Lives" *****
For Michael Steinman's full review and some choice Berigan audio and video, go to: http://jazzlives.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/mr-trumpet-the-trials-tribulations-and-triumph-of-bunny-berigan-by-michael-p-zirpolo/
"Mr. Trumpet" billboard
As people begin to buy and read the book, their interest in and curiosity about Bunny Berigan is increasing. I have had a number of requests from folks all around the U.S. and in Toronto in Canada that I make presentations about Berigan, and do book signings. At this point, my plans for specific events are gradually taking shape. As these events are scheduled, I will post all relevant information on this website.
--On December 19 at noon, I appeared on WCPN-90.3 FM in Cleveland, as a guest on the Around Noon program. WCPN's jazz guru and longtime host for jazz programming, Dan Polletta, interviewed me about "Mr. Trumpet." Around Noon is WCPN's radio magazine, and it is streamed live via the Internet. To hear the 20 minute interview, click on the triangle at right.
--On Wednesday March 7 at 7:00 p.m., I will be making a presentation about Bunny Berigan at the Canton Museum of Art in my home town of Canton, Ohio. This will include a narrated slide show featuring photos of Bunny, his family, his bands, and many of the now legendary musicians and singers with whom he worked including Paul Whiteman, Bix Beiderbecke, Bing Crosby, Mildred Bailey, Louis Armstrong, Glenn Miller, Fats Waller, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Artie Shaw, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford and Buddy Rich. I will also play choice selections from the Berigan songbook, and sign books. There will be refreshments.
--From May 18 to 20, 2012, I will be at the Bunny Berigan Jazz Jubilee in his home town of Fox Lake, Wisconsin and environs. That event will include many activities including musical performances by a number of bands. I will be presenting at least one slide show and lecture on Bunny's life, and at least two demonstrations of his recorded music, with discussion and question and answer sessions. One of these will include Berigan's best known recordings, the other will include the "rarest of the rare" of Bunny's recordings. I will also be signing books. I will supplement this info as we get closer to the time when this event will take place.
--Plans are taking shape for me to appear at the "Rutgers Roundtable" at the Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey. More on this as final details are worked out.
BUNNY BERIGAN trivia quiz
The answers to the questions below can be found by clicking on "order now" on the bar below (not the box at the top of this page). Don't worry, by doing this you will NOT be automatically ordering the book. You can order the book however, by clicking on the "order now" box at the upper right corner of this page.
1) Bunny Berigan and his small band from the Famous Door, a club on New York's 52nd Street, were hired to play a wedding on March 15, 1936. It was quite a bash, and included among its guests, George Gershwin. Whose wedding was this?
2) Berigan's big band was among the first to record music from a revolutionary film. They did so on January 26, 1938. What was the name of the film?
3) Berigan worked in a short-lived musical show in late 1936 called "The Show is On." In the show, which was intended to present the first jazz band in a Broadway show, Bunny was to be silhouetted on a large screen playing the trumpet. For technical reasons, the show's director couldn't get the effect to work properly, so it was cut from the show. This director later went on to great success in Hollywood films. Who was he?
4) Berigan was a peerless studio musician in the early and mid-1930s. He was valued by conductors, musicians, and singers because he could fit into any musical situation, and add a great deal to any performance with his dynamic trumpet playing. He was on hand for the inaugural recording sessions for two icons of American music. Who were they?
5) Bunny Berigan's bands always were stocked with very talented musicians. One of his sidemen went on to great success in the music business. With his own musical groups, he recorded over ninety albums, won a Grammy, two Golden Globe awards, and had two platinum albums and at least ten gold albums. Who was he?
6) After being swamped by debt in 1939, Berigan was forced to dissolve his band. His friend, Tommy Dorsey, offered him a job, and he joined the Dorsey band in early March, 1940. Only a few weeks earlier, Dorsey had hired a new boy singer who was then virtually unknown, but who had boundless ambition, and talent. Who was this singer?
7) At CBS in the early and mid-1930s, Berigan worked with many talented people, including a young composer/arranger who was often used by the prodigious actor-director Orson Welles on his wildly unconventional CBS radio series The Mercury Theater of the Air. When Welles went to Hollywood in 1940, he took this gifted musician with him to compose the music for Citizen Kane. Later, this composer formed a creative partnership with film director Alfred Hitchcock, writing the music for the films Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, and The Birds. Who was this composer?
8) Bunny very often worked with a drummer at CBS who became a personal friend. This drummer gained public recognition working with the pianist/composer Raymond Scott's Quintette. The drummer's son has been a very successful composer of film music in Hollywood for many decades, as a creative partner with film director Steven Spielberg. Who was the drummer/father, and who is the composer/son?
9) Bunny Berigan's name was often mentioned is a comic strip which debuted in 1987. What was the name of this comic strip?
10) Berigan backed a legendary female blues singer at a jam session held at the Famous Door on February 16, 1936. Who was this singer?
More questions will be added.
