Gene Ramey
Gene Ramey (April 4, 1913 – December 8, 1984) was an American jazz double bassist. Ramey was born in Austin, Texas, and played trumpet in college, but switched to contrabass when playing with George Corley's Royal Aces, The Moonlight Serenaders, and Terrence Holder. In 1932 he moved to Kansas City and took up the bass, studying with Walter Page. He became a fixture on the Kansas City swing jazz scene in the 1930s, and played with Jay McShann's orchestra from 1938 to 1943. In 1944 he moved to New York City, where he played with Lester Young, Count Basie, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, Hot Lips Page, Horace Silver, Thelonious Monk (as a member of Monk’s first trio in 1947, together with drummer Art Blakey), and Miles Davis. He transitioned into the bebop style ably, but also continued to play in more swing-oriented outfits. Later in his life he toured Europe with Buck Clayton, and played with Muggsy Spanier, Teddy Wilson, Dick Wellstood, Jimmy Rushing, and Eddie Vinson, in addition to doing several reunion gigs with McShann. In 1976 he moved back to Texas, playing occasionally up until his death in 1984. |
Birth and Death Data: Born April 4th, 1913 (Austin), Died December 8th, 1984 (Austin)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1941 - 1958
Roles Represented in DAHR: string bass
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 33 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Decca | 70993 | 10-in. | 7/2/1942 | Lonely boy blues | Jay McShann Orchestra | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 70994 | 10-in. | 7/2/1942 | Get me on your mind | Jay McShann Orchestra | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 70995 | 10-in. | 7/2/1942 | The jumpin' blues | Jay McShann Orchestra | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 70996 | 10-in. | 7/2/1942 | Sepian bounce-1 | Jay McShann Orchestra | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 71527 | 12/1/1943 | Say forward I'll march | Jay McShann Orchestra | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | 71528 | 10-in. | 12/1/1943 | Wrong neighborhood | Jay McShann Orchestra | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 71529 | 10-in. | 12/1/1943 | Hometown blues | Jay McShann Orchestra | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 71530 | 10-in. | 11/1/1943 | Save me some | Jay McShann Orchestra | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 81739 | 10/20/1951 | Buttermilk and beans | Hal Singer Orchestra ; The X-Rays | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | 81740 | 10/20/1951 | Charmaine | Hal Singer Orchestra ; The X-Rays | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | 81741 | 10/20/1951 | I've got a pocketful of dreams | Hal Singer Orchestra ; The X-Rays | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | 81742 | 10/20/1951 | Blue velvet | Hal Singer Orchestra ; The X-Rays | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | 93730 | 10-in. | 4/30/1941 | Swingmatism | Jay McShann Orchestra | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 93731 | 10-in. | 4/30/1941 | Hootie blues | Jay McShann Orchestra | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 93732 | 10-in. | 4/30/1941 | Dexter blues | Jay McShann Orchestra | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 93733 | 10-in. | 4/30/1941 | Vine Street boogie | Jay McShann | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 93734 | 10-in. | 4/30/1941 | Confessin' the blues | Jay McShann | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 93735 | 10-in. | 4/30/1941 | Hold 'em Hootie | Jay McShann | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 93809 | 10-in. | 11/18/1941 | One woman's man-1 | Jay McShann Quartet | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 93810 | 10-in. | 11/18/1941 | 'Fore day rider | Jay McShann Quartet | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 93811 | 10-in. | 11/18/1941 | So you won't jump | Jay McShann Quartet | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 93812 | 10-in. | 11/18/1941 | New confessin' the blues (Confessin' the blues, part 2 De.48008) | Jay McShann Quartet | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 93813 | 10-in. | 11/18/1941 | Red River blues | Jay McShann Quartet | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 93814 | 10-in. | 11/18/1941 | Baby heart blues | Jay McShann Quartet | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Decca | 93815 | 10-in. | 11/18/1941 | Cryin' won't make me stay | Jay McShann Quartet | instrumentalist, string bass |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Ramey, Gene," accessed January 21, 2021, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/339074.
Ramey, Gene. (2021). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 21, 2021, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/339074.
"Ramey, Gene." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2021. Web. 21 January 2021.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n91051127
Wikidata: http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q727217
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/64192910/
MusicBrainz: https://musicbrainz.org/artist/12df7365-2eef-41b6-a6ec-483de949bc5a
Feedback
Send the Editors a message about this record.