Gene Ramey
Gene Ramey (April 4, 1913 – December 8, 1984) was an American jazz double bassist. Ramey was born in Austin, Texas, United States, 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, Missouri 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 from a heart attack in 1984. |
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 37 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atlantic | 189 | 10-in. | 2/14/1949 | Drinkin' wine, spo-dee-o-dee | Granville "Sticks" McGhee | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Atlantic | 191 | 10-in. | 2/14/1949 | Lonesome road blues | Spo-Dee-O-Dee Buddies (Sticks McGhee's) | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Atlantic | 192 | 10-in. | 2/14/1949 | Blues mixture (I'd rather drink muddy water) | Wilbert "Big Chief" Ellis ; Brownie McGhee ; Granville "Sticks" McGhee ; Gene Ramey | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
Atlantic | 193 | 10-in. | 2/14/1949 | I'll always remember | Gene Ramey ; Spo-Dee-O-Dee Buddies (Sticks McGhee's) | instrumentalist, string bass | ||
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 |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Ramey, Gene," accessed November 9, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/339074.
Ramey, Gene. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 9, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/339074.
"Ramey, Gene." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 9 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Ramey, Gene - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n91051127
Wikidata: Gene Ramey - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q727217
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/64192910
MusicBrainz: Gene Ramey - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/12df7365-2eef-41b6-a6ec-483de949bc5a
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