by Paul Klemperer

You may have noticed that the band Tunji has been getting a lot of attention lately. Their CD was released in June, they've been receiving favorable press and their shows have been packed. You may have also noticed that there seems to be a constant flow of young up-and-coming rockers who use Austin as a stepping stone on their way to national hype status, which has engendered a certain amount of bitterness from the hardworking journeymen musicians who comprise the backbone of Austin's music scene. Be that as it may, Tunji's members should not be lumped with other overnight sensations; they have been paying their dues for some time.

Leader/singer/keyboardist/trumpetman Bruce James Bunn explained to me that he, Joe Amato (guitar), Shiben Bhattachrya (bass) and Brad Gilley (drums) formed the band back in high school in Houston. At that time they called themselves Boogie Knights, a somewhat tongue-in-cheek original disco thing. They did a stint at the University of North Texas in Denton for two years before moving to Austin in 1995 and reconfiguring as Tunji with the addition of Steve Mitchell on percussion.

Part of Tunji's distinctiveness is the heavy influence of jazz and soul music, which derives largely from Bunn's musical background. He started on trumpet in 6th grade band ("to dodge P.E.") and soon was playing cornet in the church where his father was a deacon. He continued to play in the church for the next eight years, under band director Jerry Martin, a major influence on Bunn's musical development. Bunn also attended the Houston High School for the Performing & Visual Arts. During this time Bunn developed a friendship with jazz trumpeter and vibist J.J. Hensley, who gave him a good deal of musical and mental direction. Also during this time the church band's drummer left, so Bunn was recruited to fill the drum chair. Over the years he also worked on piano and guitar.

The break finally came when the church's pastor informed Bunn that "the only music you should play is Christian music." This was a sticking point for Bunn who, although deeply influenced by gospel music, was equally steeped in the more secular sounds of soul and jazz. As he succintly puts it: "Musical ability is a gift from God, but there's all kinds of music."

Pawning his trumpet for travel money, Bunn took off for New Orleans. From there he began a journey of exploration both geographic (traveling the country by Greyhound bus) and philosophic (immersing himself in writers like Jack Kerouac and Amiri Baraka). This period helped him develop his lyrical style, "everyday experiences mixed with spiritual beliefs."

When you listen to Bunn's singing you can't miss the soul and gospel connection. He says that Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder were early influences, and still are. More recently he's been reimmersing himself in classic jazz players like Cannonball Adderly, Miles Davis and John Coltrane, as well as the diverse sounds of Pharoah Sanders, Afro-Pop artists like Fela Kuti, the New Orleans street beats of Rebirth Brass Band and the new sounds of New York's Groove Collective.

What ties all these sounds together? Bunn feels that Tunji plays "variations on soul music." With this perspective they draw from soul music all around the world. Paying tribute to these various soul traditions, they have developed a distinctive group sound based in their years of collective exploration.

Since their CD release, they have been working toward national management and booking. They plan to tour extensively by next year. In my humble opinion, the guys of Tunji will make a welcome addition to the list of emissaries Austin sends out to the world at large. They've got soul.