Willie Gary "Bunk" Johnson (December 27, 1879* – July 7, 1949) was a promin… Read Full Bio ↴Willie Gary "Bunk" Johnson (December 27, 1879* – July 7, 1949) was a prominent early New Orleans jazz trumpet player in the early years of the 20th century who enjoyed a revived career in the 1940s.

*Bunk gave the year of his birth as 1879, although there is speculation that he may have actually been younger by as much as a decade.

Bunk received lessons from Adam Olivier and began playing professionally in Olivier's orchestra. Bunk probably played a few adolescent jobs with Buddy Bolden, but was not a regular member of Bolden's Band for any length of time (contrary to Bunk's claim). Bunk was regarded as one of the top trumpeters in New Orleans in the years 1905–1915, in between repeatedly leaving the city to tour with minstrel shows and circus bands. After he failed to appear for a New Orleans Mardi Gras parade job in 1915, he learned the krewe members intended to do him bodily harm, and so he left town, touring with shows and then settling in New Iberia, Louisiana. In 1931 he lost his trumpet and front teeth when a violent fight broke out at a dance in Rayne, Louisiana, putting an end to his playing. He thereafter worked in manual labor, occasionally giving music lessons on the side when he could.
[edit]Career revival and first recordings

In 1938 and 1939 the researchers/writers of the first book of jazz history, Jazzmen, interviewed several prominent musicians of the time, including Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and Clarence Williams, who spoke very highly of Bunk in the old days in New Orleans. The writers tracked down Bunk's address, and traded several letters with him, where Bunk recalled (and possibly embellished) his early career. Bunk stated that he could play again if he only had new teeth and a new trumpet. A collection was taken up by writers and musicians, and Bunk was fitted with a set of dentures (by Bechet's dentist brother, Leonard) and given a new trumpet, and in 1942 made his first recordings.

These first recordings propelled Bunk (along with clarinetist George Lewis) into public attention, attracting a cult following. Bunk and his band played in New Orleans, San Francisco, Boston, and New York City and made many more recordings. Bunk's work in the 1940s show why he was well regarded by his fellow musicians—on his best days playing with great imagination, subtlety, and beauty—as well as suggesting why he had not achieved fame earlier, for he was unpredictable, temperamental, with a passive-aggressive streak and a fondness for drinking alcohol to the point of serious impairment.

Bunk suffered from a stroke in late 1948 and died in New Iberia the following year.

Jazz fans and historians still debate Bunk's legacy, and the extent to which his colorful reminiscences of his early career were accurate, misremembered, exaggerated, or untrue.
The majority of his recordings remain in print on CD reissues, and his playing is an important influence on many contemporary traditional jazz musicians. Johnson plays a small, but significant, role in Alan Schroeder's picture book "Satchmo's Blues." In that book, Johnson serves as a source of musical inspiration to the young Louis Armstrong.

Tiger Rag
Bunk Johnson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Where's that tiger! Where's that tiger!
Where's that tiger! Where's that tiger!
Hold that tiger! Hold that tiger ! Hold that tiger!
Choke him, poke him, kick him and soak him!
Where's that tiger? Where's that tiger?
Where oh where can he be?
Low or highbrow, they all cry now
"Please play that Tiger Rag for me"

Low or highbrow, they all cry now
"Please play that Tiger Rag for me"

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bunk Johnson's "Tiger Rag" convey a sense of energy, excitement, and anticipation. The repeated refrain of "Where's that tiger" creates a sense of searching and urgency, while the call to "Hold that tiger" suggests a need to contain the wildness and energy that the tiger represents. The lines "Choke him, poke him, kick him and soak him" convey a sense of physicality and aggression that is characteristic of jazz music and its roots in African American culture.

Overall, the lyrics to "Tiger Rag" reflect the exuberance and vitality of jazz music as a whole. The repeated calls for the tiger serve as a metaphor for the music itself, which is wild, unpredictable, and filled with energy. The chorus "Please play that Tiger Rag for me" is a plea to the musicians to continue creating this lively and exciting music, and suggests a shared appreciation and love of jazz among fans and performers alike.

Line by Line Meaning

Where's that tiger! Where's that tiger!
Where is the excitement, the wild spirit that we are seeking? Where can we find it?

Hold that tiger! Hold that tiger ! Hold that tiger!
Grab onto that feeling, don't let it go! Hold on tight and don't lose it.

Choke him, poke him, kick him and soak him!
Don't be afraid to push the limits, to get a little rough with the excitement we're feeling. Immerse ourselves in it and enjoy it to the fullest.

Where oh where can he be?
Where is that thrilling, electrifying moment we're searching for? Where is that rush of emotions?

Low or highbrow, they all cry now
It does not matter who you are, where you come from, or how you define yourself. We are all in search of that feeling, that energy that brings us together.

"Please play that Tiger Rag for me"
Let us all join in and embrace that excitement, that music that inspires and fills us with energy. Let us all experience it together.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Antonio Sbarro, Edwin Edwards, Henry Ragas, Larry Shields, Sidney Bechet

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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