Biography
Gene Ramey earned recognition as a cornerstone bassist in the Kansas City jazz community, where his steady walking lines and unadorned yet propulsive solos supported an abundance of sessions across multiple decades. He began on trumpet while performing with his college band before shifting to sousaphone for engagements with George Corley's Royal Aces, the Moonlight Serenaders, and Terrence Holder. After arriving in Kansas City in 1932 he adopted the bass as his permanent instrument and studied with Walter Page. Deeply embedded in the city's after-hours music life through regular appearances at jam sessions, he held a chair in the Jay McShann Orchestra from 1938 to 1943. Once McShann entered military service, Ramey returned briefly to Kansas City before relocating to New York in 1944. In the new setting he performed with many leading players, among them Lester Young, Count Basie in 1952, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Charlie Parker, Hot Lips Page, and Miles Davis. Although he acquitted himself well inside bop ensembles, his widest acceptance came in swing and mainstream circles, where he contributed to numerous recordings. Later he accompanied Buck Clayton on a European tour, worked with Muggsy Spanier, Teddy Wilson, Dick Wellstood, Jimmy Rushing, and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, and took part in repeated reunions with McShann. Ramey resettled in Texas in 1976, largely withdrawing from full-time activity yet continuing to perform until shortly before his death.
Albums
