Biography
Harry Carney anchored the Duke Ellington Orchestra with his baritone saxophone for more than forty-five years, supplying the tonal foundation that gave the ensemble its unmistakable character. He remained Duke’s longest-serving sideman and survived him by barely four months. Born in Boston on April 1, 1910, Carney grew up near alto saxophonists Johnny Hodges and Charlie Holmes; the three absorbed jazz from 78-rpm discs. His earliest models were Sidney Bechet with Clarence Williams, Buster Bailey with Fletcher Henderson, and Don Murray with Jean Goldkette. At thirteen he played clarinet in a Knights of Pythias band. Once he gained command of the alto saxophone, he traveled to New York with Holmes and worked at the Bamboo Inn just before the club was destroyed by fire.
He soon began sitting in with Duke Ellington, who brought him back to Boston for a string of one-nighters. After Ellington persuaded Carney’s mother to let her seventeen-year-old son stay with the band, the partnership became permanent. Over the decades Ellington often rode in Carney’s Imperial, the saxophonist at the wheel, creating a private space in which many of Duke’s lasting themes took shape. Carney shared credit for “Rockin’ in Rhythm” and usually delivered its nimble clarinet solo, yet he devoted himself chiefly to the baritone. Striking instances of that voice appear throughout the book—“Frustration,” “Sono,” “Perdido,” and “La Plus Belle Africaine.” A previously unissued take of “Sophisticated Lady” on the Verve reissue of Soul Call demonstrates both his songful depth and his command of circular breathing, qualities that left a clear mark on Rahsaan Roland Kirk; on the 1972 album A Meeting of the Times, Kirk portrayed both Carney and Barney Bigard by playing clarinet and baritone saxophone at once.
Carney had taken up the baritone originally to expand the orchestra’s color range, modeling his upper register on Coleman Hawkins and his lower register on Adrian Rollini. Around 1944 he added the bass clarinet. Between 1946 and 1960 he recorded under his own name for HRS, Wax, and Columbia. Outside the Ellington circle he appeared with Billy Taylor’s Big Eight, the Coleman Hawkins Sax Ensemble, Lionel Hampton, Edmond Hall, Earl Hines, Harry James, Al Killian, Tyree Glenn, Jimmy Jones, Johnny Bothwell, and Dizzy Gillespie. He also accompanied Billie Holiday, Al Hibbler, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Pleasant Joseph, Buddy Clark, and Johnny Rae. In 1937 he joined Rex Stewart and Hayes Alvis in a vocal trio behind Ivie Anderson on “I’ve Got to Be a Rug Cutter.” When Johnny Hodges brought a small group to the Berlin Sportpalast in 1966, Carney supplied the powerful foundation for their performance of “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be.” His final recording, “Drop Me Off in Harlem,” appears on Mercer Ellington’s album Continuum, made in the months after Duke’s death on May 24 and before his own on October 8, 1974. A tribute written by Sy Johnson was recorded by Charles Mingus that December and released on Changes Two.
He soon began sitting in with Duke Ellington, who brought him back to Boston for a string of one-nighters. After Ellington persuaded Carney’s mother to let her seventeen-year-old son stay with the band, the partnership became permanent. Over the decades Ellington often rode in Carney’s Imperial, the saxophonist at the wheel, creating a private space in which many of Duke’s lasting themes took shape. Carney shared credit for “Rockin’ in Rhythm” and usually delivered its nimble clarinet solo, yet he devoted himself chiefly to the baritone. Striking instances of that voice appear throughout the book—“Frustration,” “Sono,” “Perdido,” and “La Plus Belle Africaine.” A previously unissued take of “Sophisticated Lady” on the Verve reissue of Soul Call demonstrates both his songful depth and his command of circular breathing, qualities that left a clear mark on Rahsaan Roland Kirk; on the 1972 album A Meeting of the Times, Kirk portrayed both Carney and Barney Bigard by playing clarinet and baritone saxophone at once.
Carney had taken up the baritone originally to expand the orchestra’s color range, modeling his upper register on Coleman Hawkins and his lower register on Adrian Rollini. Around 1944 he added the bass clarinet. Between 1946 and 1960 he recorded under his own name for HRS, Wax, and Columbia. Outside the Ellington circle he appeared with Billy Taylor’s Big Eight, the Coleman Hawkins Sax Ensemble, Lionel Hampton, Edmond Hall, Earl Hines, Harry James, Al Killian, Tyree Glenn, Jimmy Jones, Johnny Bothwell, and Dizzy Gillespie. He also accompanied Billie Holiday, Al Hibbler, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Pleasant Joseph, Buddy Clark, and Johnny Rae. In 1937 he joined Rex Stewart and Hayes Alvis in a vocal trio behind Ivie Anderson on “I’ve Got to Be a Rug Cutter.” When Johnny Hodges brought a small group to the Berlin Sportpalast in 1966, Carney supplied the powerful foundation for their performance of “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be.” His final recording, “Drop Me Off in Harlem,” appears on Mercer Ellington’s album Continuum, made in the months after Duke’s death on May 24 and before his own on October 8, 1974. A tribute written by Sy Johnson was recorded by Charles Mingus that December and released on Changes Two.
Albums
