Larry Bunker

Lawrence Benjamin Bunker (November 4, 1928 – March 8, 2005) was an American jazz drummer, vibraphonist, and percussionist. A member of the Bill Evans Trio in the mid-1960s, he also played timpani with the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra.

Biography
Born in Long Beach, California, Bunker was a central figure on the West Coast jazz scene, one of the relatively few who actually were from the region. In the 1950s and 1960s he appeared at Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, and performed with Shorty Rogers and His Giants and others. At first he played primarily drums, but increasingly he focused on vibraphone and was later highly regarded for his playing of timpani and various percussion instruments.

A dependable and in-demand studio drummer and vibist, Bunker achieved particular distinction by recording with Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Diana Krall, and many other jazz greats. In 1952, he was the drummer in one of Art Pepper's first groups. In 1953 and 1954, Bunker played drums in some of the earliest of Gerry Mulligan's groups. From 1963 to 1965, he was, intermittently, the drummer in the Bill Evans trio. His work in movie soundtracks spanned over fifty years, from Stalag 17 (1953) and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) to The Incredibles (2004), and included soundtracks by John Williams, Henry Mancini, Quincy Jones, Miklós Rózsa, Jerry Goldsmith, Johnny Mandel, Lalo Schifrin and many other composers.

Bunker died of complications of a stroke in Los Angeles at age 76.

Discography
As Leader With Christina Aguilera With Chet Baker With Cheryl Bentyne With Michael Bolton With Tim Buckley With Gary Burton With Benny Carter With Rosemary Clooney With Natalie Cole With Buddy Collette With Bobby Darin With Neil Diamond With The 5th Dimension With Bill Evans With Clare Fischer With Michael Franks With Stan Getz With Vince Gill With Dizzy Gillespie With Tramaine Hawkins With Woody Herman With Richard "Groove" Holmes With Paul Horn With Al Jarreau With Dr. John With Plas Johnson With Stan Kenton With Diana Krall With Peggy Lee With Lou Levy With Jon Lucien With Johnny Mandel With Barry Manilow With Shelly Manne With Carmen McRae With Gerry Mulligan With Mark Murphy With Walter Murphy With Oliver Nelson With Robert Palmer With Art Pepper With Shorty Rogers With Kenny Rogers With Linda Ronstadt With Pete Rugolo With The Sandpipers With Lalo Schifrin With Diane Schuur With Bud Shank With Nina Simone With The Singers Unlimited With B. W. Stevenson With Donna Summer With Lew Tabackin With The Manhattan Transfer With U2 With Sarah Vaughan With Wendy Waldman
 * Live at Shelly's Manne-Hole – as The Larry Bunker Quartette featuring Gary Burton (1990)
 * My Kind of Christmas (RCA Records, 2000)
 * Chet Baker Quartet featuring Russ Freeman (Pacific Jazz, 1953)
 * Pretty/Groovy (World Pacific, 1958)
 * West Coast Live – with Stan Getz (Pacific Jazz, 1997)
 * Something Cool (Columbia, 1992)
 * Timeless: The Classics (Columbia, 1992)
 * This Is The Time: The Christmas Album (Columbia, 1996)
 * Sefronia (DiscReet Records, 1973)
 * Something's Coming! (RCA, 1963)
 * The Time Machine (RCA, 1966)
 * Aspects (United Artists, 1959)
 * Rosie Swings Softly (Verve, 1960)
 * Unforgettable... with Love (Elektra Records, 1991)
 * Take a Look (Elektra Records, 1993)
 * Holly & Ivy (Elektra, 1994)
 * Ask a Woman Who Knows (Verve, 2002)
 * Man of Many Parts (Contemporary, 1956)
 * Love Swings (Atco, 1961)
 * Winners (Atco, 1964)
 * Bobby Darin Sings The Shadow of Your Smile (Atlantic, 1966)
 * Tap Root Manuscript (Uni Records, 1970)
 * Stoned Soul Picnic (Soul City, 1968)
 * The Age of Aquarius (Soul City, 1969)
 * Portrait (Bell, 1970)
 * Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes (Bell, 1971)
 * Individually & Collectively (Bell, 1972)
 * Living Together, Growing Together (Bell, 1973)
 * Time Remembered (Milestone, 1963)
 * At Shelly's Manne-Hole (Riverside, 1963)
 * The Bill Evans Trio "Live" (Verve, 1964)
 * Waltz for Debby (Philips, 1964)
 * Trio '65 (Verve, 1965)
 * Bill Evans Trio with Symphony Orchestra (Verve, 1965)
 * Surging Ahead (Pacific Jazz, 1963)
 * Extension (Pacific Jazz, 1963)
 * Thesaurus (Atlantic, 1969)
 * Michael Franks (Brut, 1973)
 * The Art of Tea (Warner Bros. Records, 1976)
 * Sleeping Gypsy (Warner Bros. Records, 1977)
 * Children of the World (Columbia, 1979)
 * Breath of Heaven: A Christmas Collection (MCA Records, 1998)
 * The New Continent (Limelight, 1962)
 * To a Higher Place (Columbia, 1994)
 * Songs for Hip Lovers (Verve, 1957)
 * Six Million Dollar Man (RCA, 1975)
 * House of Horn (Dot, 1957)
 * Plenty of Horn (Dot, 1958)
 * Impressions of Cleopatra (Columbia, 1963)
 * Jazz Suite on the Mass Texts (RCA Victor, 1965) with Lalo Schifrin
 * We Got By (Reprise Records, 1975)
 * Afterglow (Blue Thumb, 1995)
 * This Must Be the Plas (Capitol, 1959)
 * Lush Interlude (Capitol, 1958)
 * A Merry Christmas! (Capitol, 1961)
 * Artistry in Bossa Nova (Capitol, 1963)
 * Artistry in Voices and Brass (Capitol, 1963)
 * Stan Kenton Plays for Today (Capitol, 1966)
 * When I Look in Your Eyes (Verve, 1999)
 * Black Coffee (Decca, 1956)
 * Dream Street (Decca, 1957)
 * I Like Men! (Capitol, 1959)
 * Blues Cross Country (Capitol, 1962)
 * Guitars a là Lee (Capitol, 1966)
 * Mirrors (A&M, 1975)
 * Jazz in Four Colors (RCA, 1959)
 * Song for My Lady (Columbia, 1975)
 * I Want to Live (United Artists, 1958)
 * Showstoppers (Arista, 1991)
 * Manilow Sings Sinatra (Arista, 1998)
 * Daktari (Atlantic, 1967)
 * It Takes a Whole Lot of Human Feeling (Groove Merchant, 1973)
 * Can't Hide Love (Blue Note, 1976)
 * Gerry Mulligan Quartet Volume 1 (Pacific Jazz, 1952)
 * Gene Norman Presents the Original Gerry Mulligan Tentet and Quartet (GNP, 1953)
 * California Concerts (Pacific Jazz, 1955)
 * Lee Konitz Plays with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet (Pacific Jazz, 1957) with Lee Konitz
 * Mark Murphy's Hip Parade (Capitol, 1960)
 * Walter Murphy's Discosymphony (New York, 1979)
 * Soulful Brass with Steve Allen (Impulse!, 1968)
 * Ridin' High (EMI, 1992)
 * Surf Ride (Savoy, 1956)
 * Wherever the Five Winds Blow (RCA Victor, 1957)
 * Gigi in Jazz (RCA Victor, 1958)
 * The Wizard of Oz and Other Harold Arlen Songs (RCA Victor, 1959)
 * Jazz Waltz (Reprise, 1962)
 * Timepiece (143, 1994)
 * Canciones de Mi Padre (Elektra Records, 1987)
 * Music for Hi-Fi Bugs (EmArcy, 1956)
 * Percussion at Work (EmArcy, 1957)
 * An Adventure in Sound: Brass in Hi-Fi (Mercury, 1958)
 * The Music from Richard Diamond (EmArcy, 1959)
 * Behind Brigitte Bardot (Warner Bros., 1960)
 * The Original Music of Thriller (Time, 1961)
 * Ten Trumpets and 2 Guitars (Mercury, 1961)
 * Come Saturday Morning (A&M, 1970)
 * A Gift of Song (A&M, 1971)
 * More Mission: Impossible (Paramount, 1968)
 * Mannix (Paramount, 1968)
 * Bullitt (Warner Bros., 1968)
 * Che! (Tetragrammaton, 1969)
 * Kelly's Heroes (MGM, 1970)
 * Rock Requiem (Verve, 1971)
 * Enter the Dragon (Warner Bros., 1973)
 * In Tribute (GRP, 1992)
 * Strings & Trombones (Pacific Jazz, 1955) with Bob Brookmeyer
 * I'll Take Romance (World Pacific, 1958)
 * Bossa Nova Jazz Samba (Pacific Jazz, 1962) with Clare Fischer
 * Brasamba! (Pacific Jazz, 1963) with Clare Fischer and Joe Pass
 * Bud Shank & the Sax Section (Pacific Jazz, 1966)
 * A Single Woman (Elektra, 1993)
 * Feeling Free (MPS, 1975)
 * Friends (Pausa, 1977)
 * We Be Sailin' (Warner Bros., 1975)
 * Donna Summer (Geffen, 1982)
 * Tenor Gladness (Disco Mate, 1976) with Warne Marsh
 * The Christmas Album (Columbia, 1992)
 * Rattle and Hum (Island, 1988)
 * Sarah Vaughan with Michel Legrand (Mainstream Records, 1972)
 * Love Has Got Me (Warner Bros. Records, 1973)