Ralph Pena
Ralph Raymond Peña (February 24, 1927, Jarbidge, Nevada - May 20, 1969, Mexico City) was an American jazz double bassist and composer. Peña learned to play low brass instruments as a child and began playing professionally in the early 1940s, becoming known as a jazz double bassist. In this capacity, in the early 1950s he worked with Charlie Barnet, Stan Getz, Barney Kessel, Billy May, Jack Montrose, Vido Musso, Art Pepper, Duane Tatro, and Cal Tjader. He recorded with Shorty Rogers from 1955 to 1958, appearing with Rogers in the film The Man with the Golden Arm in 1955, and also played with Jimmy Giuffre in 1955 and 1956 and Buddy DeFranco in the late 1950s. He played in a duo with Pete Jolly from 1958 to 1962 and occasionally recorded with Jolly, Giuffre, and Rogers together. In the early 1960s he worked with Ben Webster, Frank Sinatra, George Shearing, Joe Pass, Bud Shank, Dick Grove, Anita O'Day, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nancy Wilson. Late in the 1960s he worked on film soundtracks. In 1969, in Mexico City, where he had been working on a score, Peña was killed as a pedestrian in an automobile accident. |
Birth and Death Data: Born February 24, 1927 (Nevada), Died May 20, 1969 (Mexico City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1955 - 1956
Roles Represented in DAHR: string bass
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Decca | 89308 | 2/21/1956 | Man with the golden arm-Main theme | Elmer Bernstein Orchestra | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | 89309 | 2/21/1956 | Clark Street | Elmer Bernstein Orchestra | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | L 8442 | 5/25/1955 | When you're near-2 | Jack Millman Orchestra | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | L 8443 | 5/25/1955 | So goes my love-1, 3 | Jack Millman Orchestra | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | L 8444 | 5/25/1955 | Too much | Jack Millman Orchestra | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | L 8857 | 12/15/1955 | Clark Street: The top ; Homecoming-1 ; Antek's | Elmer Bernstein | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | L 8858 | 12/15/1955 | Zosh | Elmer Bernstein | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | L 8860 | 12/15/1955 | Frankie machine-2 | Elmer Bernstein | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | L 8861 | 12/15/1955 | The fix | Elmer Bernstein | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | L 8862 | 12/15/1955 | Molly | Elmer Bernstein | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | L 8863 | 12/15/1955 | Breakup: Flight/Louie's/Burlesque | Elmer Bernstein | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | L 8864 | 12/15/1955 | Sunday morning | Elmer Bernstein | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | L 8865 | 12/15/1955 | Desperation | Elmer Bernstein | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | L 8866 | 12/15/1955 | Audition | Elmer Bernstein | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | L 8867 | 12/15/1955 | The cure: Withdraw/Cold/Morning | Elmer Bernstein | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | L 8868 | 12/15/1955 | Finale | Elmer Bernstein | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | L 9113 | 4/2/1956 | Drag for beers | Leith Stevens' All-Stars | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | L 9114 | 4/2/1956 | Prelude to a rumble | Leith Stevens' All-Stars | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | L 9115 | 4/2/1956 | Bewildered | Leith Stevens' All-Stars | instrumentalist, string bass | |||
Decca | L 9116 | 4/2/1956 | Black rebel's ride | Leith Stevens' All-Stars | instrumentalist, string bass |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Pena, Ralph," accessed September 11, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/337022.
Pena, Ralph. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved September 11, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/337022.
"Pena, Ralph." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 11 September 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Ralph Peña
Discogs: Ralph Pena
Allmusic: Ralph Pena
Grove: Ralph Pena
IMDb: Ralph Pena
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Peña, Ralph, 1927-1969 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n81013758
Wikidata: Ralph Peña - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2129728
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/29726494
MusicBrainz: Ralph Peña - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/0a1cef8e-96a7-40c3-92fa-3ff71bf7bc2c
ISNI: 0000 0000 7988 5809 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000079885809
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