Gene Perla is a bassist, composer, arranger, and record label founder born on March 1, 1940, in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. Over a career spanning more than five decades, Perla has performed and recorded with an exceptional range of artists including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, Elvin Jones, and Joni Mitchell. He served in the Woody Herman Orchestra from 1969 to 1970 and was a member of Elvin Jones's group from 1971 to 1973. Perla co-founded the trio Stone Alliance with percussionist Don Alias, recording four albums that blended jazz with Brazilian and world music elements. As a composer, Perla's writing has been closely tied to his work as a bandleader and collaborator rather than producing a widely recorded catalog of standalone compositions. His tune "On the Mountain," a distinctive 39-bar form, appears on AllSolos. Beyond performing and writing, Perla founded the PM Records and Plug labels and operated Red Gate Studio with keyboardist Jan Hammer. His contributions to jazz extend across performing, composing, producing, and fostering the careers of other musicians through his independent label work.
