[turf3]

I really don't think you can approach the Carney sound unless, as Merlin says, you have the right equipment, and I don't think it's remotely true to say that you get the sound you hear in your head "regardless".

My set up: a 1945 Conn 12M and an original, unaltered 1930s (?) Woodwind Co NY mouthpiece with the largest roundest chamber possible, B5, and no baffle nonsense.

Here's a full (mobile phone) video of Serious Serenade (a bit too fast, sadly) performed at St George's Guildhall, King's Lynn: http://www.harmonyinharlem.co.uk/SeriousSerenade.mp4

A brief solo after the trombone opening in this moblile phone recording of my arrangement of Sweet and Lovely: http://www.harmonyinharlem.co.uk/Olney/SweetAndLovely.mp4

There's a brief solo behind the trumpet 1min 50seconds into this audio recording of Anytime, And Day, Anywhere I made at a rehearsal a few months ago, which I'm particularly fond of: http://www.harmonyinharlem.co.uk/Anytime.mp3

Michael

Wow, MT, you really do catch a great deal of the Harry Carney essence!

I find it interesting that you're getting that bite and edge, out of a larger chamber lower baffle piece than I use, with essentially the same horn.

 

[MTKilpatrick]

Wow, MT, you really do catch a great deal of the Harry Carney essence!

I find it interesting that you're getting that bite and edge, out of a larger chamber lower baffle piece than I use, with essentially the same horn.

Thank you.

I find it interesting that many people say you need a wide tip and a ridiculously high baffle to project. I remain...baffled. A baritone projects by being sonorous. I've never considered owning a modern mouthpiece and I don't think I've been near one for thirty years. I suspect if I did try one it would be so alien in every respect I wouldn't be able to play it at all!

Oh, and my mouthpiece is a B4 not a B5 as stated previously.

 

[Urdaddoobie]

I really don't think you can approach the Carney sound unless, as Merlin says, you have the right equipment, and I don't think it's remotely true to say that you get the sound you hear in your head "regardless".

My set up: a 1945 Conn 12M and an original, unaltered 1930s (?) Woodwind Co NY mouthpiece with the largest roundest chamber possible, B5, and no baffle nonsense.

Here's a full (mobile phone) video of Serious Serenade (a bit too fast, sadly) performed at St George's Guildhall, King's Lynn: http://www.harmonyinharlem.co.uk/SeriousSerenade.mp4

A brief solo after the trombone opening in this moblile phone recording of my arrangement of Sweet and Lovely: http://www.harmonyinharlem.co.uk/Olney/SweetAndLovely.mp4

There's a brief solo behind the trumpet 1min 50seconds into this audio recording of Anytime, And Day, Anywhere I made at a rehearsal a few months ago, which I'm particularly fond of: http://www.harmonyinharlem.co.uk/Anytime.mp3

Michael

Wow! That was a treat thank you so much sir. I made this post a long while ago but when I get on the forum I always make sure to check these threads for valuable information. On your first recording I have a question, to what extent is that solo improvised? I mean I know for sure you were definitely playing it different every performance because that's the nature of music especially of this kind, but like how a book adaptation for a movie can vary wildly in it's closeness to the original story, how many licks of that had to be there for the music to keep on moving on, do you know what I mean? You sound super great and sparkly by the way, I'm sure carney smiles upon you from whatever, if any, afterlife you believe in. : D

 

[MTKilpatrick]

Wow! That was a treat thank you so much sir. I made this post a long while ago but when I get on the forum I always make sure to check these threads for valuable information. On your first recording I have a question, to what extent is that solo improvised? I mean I know for sure you were definitely playing it different every performance because that's the nature of music especially of this kind, but like how a book adaptation for a movie can vary wildly in it's closeness to the original story, how many licks of that had to be there for the music to keep on moving on, do you know what I mean? You sound super great and sparkly by the way, I'm sure carney smiles upon you from whatever, if any, afterlife you believe in. : D

In Serious Serenade I'm playing most of the solo very much the same as the recordings (in which Carney plays it mostly the same in the five available recordings). The cadenza, however, is improvised except for the last bit that ascends from the low C#/D.

By the way, the original melody as written by Duke has a lot of the rhythmic detail that you hear in Carney's solo and this is in contrast to some pieces (e.g. Johnny Hodges solo feature, Sultry Sunset) in which the original written melody as conceived by DE was much simpler, more bare and 'square' throughout, and the soloist such as Carney or Hodges added a lot more embellishments and rhythmic variation. Looking at the 'bare bones' original conception and the Hodges/Carney/etc interpretation is interesting at times.

Michael

 

[BH9]

I used to chase the Carney sound with equipment, and Michael is right, you can project like crazy with a large round chamber mouthpiece like a WWNY. I have a couple of them, but don't play them anymore because the technique is completely different. Since I converted to modern mouthpieces, can't really play those anymore.
Not to worry, as this young man demonstrates, the Carney sound is achievable at least for him, on modern mouthpieces. Maybe the Conn really IS essential..?