Ralph Pena

An excellent supportive bassist who was simply with the capacity of taking worthy solos, Ralph Pena was significantly popular for modern jazz times through the 1950s and 60s. Pena began playing baritone horn and tuba before switching to bass, with age group 15 he started gigging expertly with Jerry Austin (1942-44). He visited college in SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA and became a fixture in the Western Coast jazz picture. Among Pena’s many organizations had been Nick Esposito, Artwork Pepper, Vido Musso, Cal Tjader (1950), Billy May, Barney Kessel, Stan Getz, Charlie Barnet, Shorty Rogers (1955-58), Jimmy Giuffre, Friend DeFranco, Bob Brookmeyer and Pete Jolly (1958-62). In the 1960s, Pena caused Ben Webster, George Shearing, Frank Sinatra (1962), Joe Move, Nancy Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald, Anita O’Day and many more. Although Pena by no means headed his personal record program, he led his personal group on an intermittent basis before his early loss of life at age group 42.