Bunny Berigan was arguably the top jazz trumpeter of the 1930s (not counting Louis Armstrong), with his main competition being Henry “Red” Allen, Roy Eldridge, and (later in the decade) Harry James. He had a beautiful tone in all registers, was never shy about taking death-defying chances in his solos, and had the technique to usually pull off all of his adventurous ideas. A dramatic player, Berigan was also a lovable alcoholic whose life and career were cut short just a little more than 12 years after he began recording.
Early Years
Rowland Bernart “Bunny” Berigan was born November 2, 1908, in Hilbert, Wisconsin. He took violin lessons for a brief period as a child but soon switched permanently to trumpet. Berigan started his career playing with local bands as a teenager including the University of Wisconsin’s jazz ensemble although he never actually went to college.
In 1928, the 19-year old tried out for the Hal Kemp Orchestra but failed the audition because it was felt that his tone was too weak. Berigan took the hint, woodshedded a great deal for the next year (often playing along to Louis Armstrong records), learned to “tell a story” in his solos, and in late 1929 was hired by Kemp for his popular dance band.
Berigan spent a year with Kemp, touring Europe including England and appearing on his first recordings. While his solos are generally brief with Kemp
