Harry Carney

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Harry Howell Carney (April 1, 1910 – October 8, 1974) was a jazz saxophonist and clarinettist who spent over four decades as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He played a variety of instruments, but primarily used the baritone saxophone, being a critical influence on the instrument in jazz.

Early life

Carney was born on April 1, 1910, in Boston, Massachusetts.<ref name="Grove">Template:Citation</ref> In Boston, he grew up close to future bandmate Johnny Hodges.<ref name="Gioia2nd">Template:Cite book</ref> Carney began by playing the piano at age seven, moved to the clarinet at 14, and added the alto saxophone a year later.<ref name="Grove" /> He first played professionally in clubs in Boston.<ref name="Grove" />

Early influences on Carney's playing included Buster Bailey, Sidney Bechet, and Don Murray.<ref name="AM">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Carney also reported that, for his baritone saxophone playing, he "tried to make the upper register sound like Coleman Hawkins and the lower register like Adrian Rollini".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Later life and career

After playing a variety of gigs in New York City at the age of 17, Carney was invited to join the Duke Ellington band for its performances in Boston in 1927.<ref name="Lorre">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Refn He soon recorded with Ellington too, with a first session in October that year.<ref name="Lorre" /> Having established himself in the Ellington band, he stayed with it for the rest of his life.<ref name="Grove" /> The band began a residency at the Cotton Club in New York at the end of the year.<ref name="Lorre" />

After Ellington added more personnel in 1928, Carney's main instrument became the baritone saxophone.<ref name="Lorre" /> He was a dominant figure on the baritone in jazz, with no serious rivals on the instrument until the advent of bebop in the mid-1940s.<ref name="Berendt">Template:Cite book</ref> Within the overall sound of the Ellington band, Carney's baritone was often employed to play parts of harmonies that were above the obvious low pitching of the instrument; this altered the textures of the band's sound.<ref name="Williams">Template:Cite book</ref>

In January 1938, Carney was invited to play with Benny Goodman's band at Carnegie Hall.<ref name="Berish">Template:Cite book</ref> Recordings from this event were released as The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert. Carney also took up the bass clarinet around 1944.<ref name="AM" /> He "co-composed "Rockin' in Rhythm" and was usually responsible for executing the bubbling clarinet solo on this tune".<ref name="AM" />

In 1957, Carney was part of a band led by pianist Billy Taylor that recorded the album Taylor Made Jazz.<ref name="Taylor">Template:Cite book</ref>

Carney was the longest serving player in Ellington's orchestra.<ref name="AM" /> On occasions when Ellington was absent or wished to make a stage entrance after the band had begun playing the first piece of a performance, Carney would serve as the band's conductor.Template:Citation needed The Ellington orchestra typically travelled on a tour bus, but Ellington himself did not; he was driven separately by Carney, a "quiet, calm presence".<ref name="James">Template:Cite book</ref>

Ellington wrote many showpiece features for Carney throughout their time together.Template:Citation needed In 1973 Ellington built the Third Sacred Concert around Carney's baritone saxophone.<ref name="Cottrell">Template:Cite book</ref>

After Ellington's 1974 death, Carney said: "Without Duke, I have nothing to live for".<ref name="Lorre" /> Carney's final recording may have been under Mercer Ellington's leadership, for the album Continuum.<ref name="AM" /> Four months after Ellington's death, Carney also died, on October 8, 1974, in New York.<ref name="Grove" />

Influence and legacy

Carney was an early jazz proponent of circular breathing.<ref name="Cottrell" /> He was also Hamiet Bluiett's favorite baritone player because he "never saw anybody else stop time" in reference to a concert Bluiett attended where Carney held a note during which all else went silent.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Two months after Carney's death, bassist Charles Mingus recorded Sy Johnson's elegy "For Harry Carney"; the track was released on the album Changes Two.<ref name="Santoro">Template:Cite book</ref>

Discography

As leader

Harry Carney with Strings (Clef, 1954;<ref name="Grove" /> reissued by Verve as Moods for Girl and Boy)
Rock Me Gently (Columbia Records, 1960; recorded as "Harry Carney and the Duke's Men")