Ralph Carney Solo show June 23rd, S.F. JAZZ FEST!
Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 07:12PM 
Ralph Carney
Straddling the line between jazz virtuoso and eccentric genius, woodwind master Ralph Carney has been a ubiquitous presence in pop, experimental music and jazz for over 30 years. The Akron Ohio native honed his expansive approach in the 70s as part of Woodstock’s Creative Music Studio that supported other boundary-pushing figures including reed master Anthony Braxton, pianist Cecil Taylor and trumpeter Don Cherry. Carney became one of the most in-demand horn players in the session scene of the 80s and 90s, adding his singular style to records with the B-52s, Frank Black, Elvis Costello, Marc Ribot, William S. Burroughs and producer Hal Willner. It was during this time that Carney met Tom Waits and subsequently appeared on many of Waits’ greatest albums, including Rain Dogs, Frank’s Wild Years and Bone Machine, and had a featured role in Waits’ big screen concert film Big Time. A Bay Area resident since the mid-80s, Carney has continues to lend his talents to sessions with Waits and his younger cousin Patrick’s band, The Black Keys. He began recording under his own name in the 90s, releasing a number of highly personal albums as a solo artist and with his Serious Jass Project, culminating in 2011’s Seriously. He brings a soulful mix of the arcane and the experimental to this solo performance.
