Harry Howell Carney (April 1, 1910 – October 8, 1974) was a jazz saxophonist and clarinetist who spent over four decades as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He played a variety of instruments, but primarily performed on the baritone saxophone, being a critical influence on the instrument in jazz.
Early life
Carney was born on April 1, 1910, in Boston, Massachusetts. In Boston, he grew up close to future bandmate Johnny Hodges. Carney began by playing the piano at age seven, moved to the clarinet at 14, and added the alto saxophone a year later. 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".
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. He soon recorded with Ellington too, with a first session in October that year. 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.
In January 1938, Carney was invited to play with Benny Goodman's band at Carnegie Hall. Recordings from this event were released as The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert. Carney also took up the bass clarinet around 1944.
Carney was the longest serving player in Ellington's orchestra.
Ellington wrote many showpiece features for Carney throughout their time together. In 1973, Ellington built the Third Sacred Concert around Carney's baritone saxophone.
After Ellington's 1974 death, Carney said, "Without Duke, I have nothing to live for". 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.
Discography
As leader
- Harry Carney with Strings (Clef, 1954;