ralph carney

about

Ralph Carney (Akron, Ohio, January 23, 1956 – December 16, 2017) was an American singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist. While his primary instruments were various saxophones and clarinets, Carney also collected and played many instruments, often unusual or obscure ones. Carney got his start as a professional musician as a founding member of the band Tin Huey. He is perhaps best known for his long association with singer Tom Waits, and has worked with a vast number of others as a session musician. Carney grew up in Akron, Ohio, and listened to music on a windup record player. His father and an older brother and sister worked in polyester research. Carney showed an early interest in art, but turned to music in the eighth grade. He started learning five string banjo, violin and harmonica and played bluegrass and country blues. At age 15 he started to play saxophone. He also worked in the mall record store. In addition to work with Tin Huey in the 1970s and Tom Waits from the 1980s to present, Carney has also recorded or performed with Dieselhed, Marc Ribot, The B-52's, Elvis Costello, Jonathan Richman, Les Claypool, Stan Ridgway, Medeski Martin & Wood, Jed Davis, Bill Laswell, and HowellDevine, among others. Carney has released several solo albums and was a member of the Oranj Symphonette with fellow Waits alumni Joe Gore and Matt Brubeck. He also heads up San Francisco's Carneyball Johnson, playing on saxophones, Turkish clarinet, piccolo, trumpet, percussion and vocals

top songs

albums

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Beautiful Maladies - The Island Years

I like you(a-lot)

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Beautiful Maladies: The Island Years

Soul Jazz Records Presents Punk 45: Burn, Rubber City, Burn - Akron, Ohio: Punk and the Decline of the Mid-West 1975-80

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I Like You (A Lot)

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This Is Ralph Carney

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Ralph Sounds

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PUNK 45: Burn|Rubber City|Burn - Akron|Ohio: Punk and the Decline of the Mid-West 1975-80

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V.A.-Bowling Balls From Hell

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Punk 45: Burn, Rubber City, Burn - Akron, Ohio: Punk and the Decline of the Mid-West 1975-80

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Beautiful Maladies: The Island Years

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V.A. - Bowling Balls From Hell (LP, Clone Records 1980)

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