Gene Perla has been important to jazz not only as a bassist but as the owner of two record labels. Perla studied as a pianist at the Berklee College of Music and the Boston Conservatory of Music. He eventually switched to bass and picked up notable experience with Woody Herman's Orchestra (1969-70), the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, Sarah Vaughan, Elvin Jones (1971-73) and Sonny Rollins. In the mid-1970's Perla formed the PM (Perla Music) label and a little later also ran Plug; among the musicians that he recorded were Dave Liebman, Elvin Jones, Steve Grossman, Pat LaBarbera...