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* Feb 6, 1902 New Orleans, La
† Nov 19, 1974 Chicago, Il
Birth name: George Clarence Brunies, changed it
later to Georg Brunis
Instrument: trombone
As a brass band musician he played with:
Reliance Brass Band
Another member of the famous New Orleans Brunies
family, though he shortened the spelling of his name on the advice of a
numerologist. Georg Brunies played alto horn in a family trio as an
eight-year-old, and also with Papa Jack Laine's Reliance Brass Band.
i1
Trombone player George Brunies got his start at age eight playing
with Papa Jack Laine's
junior band and later went on to play with Laine's son Alfred "Baby" Laine's
band. He played in various bands in and around New Orleans including his
brother Abbie's Halfway House Orchestra, until he moved to Chicago in
1919. After playing for a while in Chicago he took a job on the
Mississippi riverboat the S.S. Capitol. He returned to Chicago in 1923
with his childhood friends Paul Mares and Leon Rappolo and joined the
Friar's Society Orchestra
which later changed its name to the New Orleans Rhythm Kings after
leaving the club. George's brother Merritt took over the gig at the
Friar's Inn with his band which was called Merritt Brunies and his Friars
Inn Orchestra. George Brunies left New Orleans Rhythm Kings in 1924 and
signed up with Ted Lewis and his Band that same year. He stayed with Lewis
until 1934. Throughout the rest of his career he played with Muggsy
Spainer, Art Hodges, Louis Prima and Eddie Condon and many others.i2
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