Billboard : 04/23/1955
Score of 74

There can be few interested in jazz who are not familiar with the fine work of Harry Carney, baritone saxophonist these many years in the Duke Ellington band. At long last he has been recognized and given his “own” album, and it becomes clear, as never before, how much luster he has added to that organization. Carney makes his personality felt, and he has a host of long-time admirers who will appreciate this tribute to him.

—–

Cashbox : 03/26/1955

Harry Carney, top-flight saxist with the Duke Ellington band for so many years, fronts his own group on this release. The notes tell us this is Carney’s first album in his own name tho he’s been part of all the Ellington records. Carney is surrounded by a lush backdrop; 11 strings, French horn, trumpet, clarinet, guitar, piano, bass and drums in addition to Carney’s baritone sax and bass clarinet. It is lovely music that will please all facets of music lovers. It is good music, jazz flavored with solos that delight the ear. Heartily recommended.

—–

Chapel Hill Daily Tar Heel
Tom Spain : 03/26/1955

Harry Carney with Strings is one of Norman Granz new releases. The rich body and depth of the baritone saxophone sound forms a rare contrast with a full orchestra, and presents a new field for soloists, not unlike the Bobby Hackett–Jackie Gleason rage. Carney, who handles the instrument as well as anyone ever has, plays Moonlight on the Ganges with an orchestra led by Ralph Burns. He does not, however, make an appeal to the moods, as does Gleason, but performs as a soloist in the blues-ballad vein. With the utilization of the baritone sax growing in all forms of jazz and popular music, the trend towards concerto solos seems a good one.

—–

Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
Robert C. Smith : 03/20/1955

At last, a good “with strings” set. Maybe it’s the Ralph Burns arrangements, maybe Harry‘s gusty baritone. Maybe Jimmy Hamilton and Ray Nance. Anyway (echoes of the Duke) it’s nice. Pleasant. But not cocktailish; the jazz lines are firm.

—–

Munster Times
Paul H. Little : 03/13/1955

Norm Granz continues to send us from the west coast fabulous discs of outstanding jazz recitals by the best artists in the field. Typical is a new Clef 12-incher called Harry Carney with Strings, which marks the LP debut of the great baritone sax artist who was one of the stars of the Duke Ellington aggregation. He is also a crack composer – to witness his Chalmeu and the tricky-rhythmed We’re in Love Again – and arranger, as his way with Moonlight on the Ganges and My Fantasy demonstrates irrefutably. Wonderful, lifelike sound, as on all Norm Granz LPs!

—–

Vancouver Sun
Dillon O’Leary – 04/21/1955
Carney is Master of His Saxophone

The definition “great” is sometimes rattled off a critic’s typewriter to lend an aura to musicians who can’t wear it easily.

The glitter of their performance is largely the reflected radiance of other musical genius.

Such would never be said of Harry Carney, that true great of the baritone sax who is now rounding out his thirteenth year as anchor man in the reed section of Duke Ellington. He speaks through is horn with the voice of the master, his music as fresh, vital and swinging today as it was when it rocked the old uptown Cotton Club back in the twenties.

A vote of thanks is owed Norman Granz, jazz merchandiser of concerts and Clef and Norgran records, for producing this album in which Carney is featured for the first time by himself.

Granz has done it a little too politely, however. The string section playing straight accompaniment for Harry hardly presents him with the best backdrop. But this Ellington veteran plays creative music out in front, and if you tone down the highs you can concentrate on those baritone sounds which justify our definition.

—–

Down Beat : 04/06/1955
Nat Hentoff : 3 stars

Called Harry Carney with Strings, this is that great baritonist’s first album, the long due rectification of an incredible omission by the recording companies. The rating isn’t Harry Carney’s fault, for his work here deserves five stars, but what holds the album down is the unswinging, unimaginative, unnecessary string section. The 11 strings are all perfectly legitimate musicians and they did what they were told. The blame lies on the five arranges for the date, none of whom know how to write for strings in a jazz context, and on Norman Granz for not realizing in front that unless he can find a writer who does know how to make strings come alive on a jazz date, he and his soloists are much better off without them.

Granz’s explanation is that he wanted “a lush surround that would set off (Carney’s) great sound to its best advantage.” What he has actually given him is a sterile, deadening background. It is to Carney’s credit that he brilliantly breaks through anyway. But Harry’s warm, emotional presence can only partially offset the dull clichés going on behind him.

Aside from the stifling strings, the personnel includes Ray Nance, Jimmy Hamilton, Billy Bauer, Leroy Lovett, Wendell Marshall, Louie Bellson, and Tony Miranda (French horn). Ralph Burns arranged four, and one each was arranged by Jimmy Hamilton, Gerald Wilson, Ray Biondi, and Mike Simpson. None of the arrangers are especially imaginative here, even in the non-string writing. Harry Carney contributed two attractive originals, We’re in Love Again and Chalmeu. He also plays some of his too seldom heard bass clarinet on Ghost. The album is worth getting for Carney’s great artistry; it’s too bad about the dead weight though.

—–

Liner Notes by Norman Granz

As everyone knows, Harry Carney has been one of the mainstays of the Duke Ellington organization for more than 20 years, and, as everyone also knows, he has been one of the giants of jazz for many years, and, as everyone knows, he plays some of the most soulful, most exciting baritone saxophone in the jazz world, and, as everyone knows… and so forth, and so forth, and so forth.

But I wonder if anyone knows that Harry Carney hasn’t made his own album yet? Yes, it’s curious but we often take great artists for granted, and I think the most taken-for-granted jazz musician today is Harry Carney. He has been heard on the Ellington records for so many years that he is part and parcel of the Ellington sound; in fact, he is today its most important factor, but Carney hasn’t made his first album.

This album then is an attempt to rectify that aberration on the part of recording companies, and it is the first of what I hope will be many “Harry Carney Plays” albums. The way I felt that Carney could best be presented in his first album was in a lush surrounding that would set off his great sound to its best advantage. Harry picked some of the prettiest standards that have been written; some of them well known and some, like Moonlight on the Ganges rarely heard. He also wrote some originals for this date, among them: [I}We’re In Love Again[/I] and Chalmeu. To insure further the success of this project, I engaged Ralph Burns to arrange four of the compositions. Ralph has the same feeling and approach for music that Harry has, and I think that is evident in the arrangements. Ralph arranged: [I}I’ve Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good[/I], Take the A Train, Moonlight on the Ganges, and It Had To Be You. Jimmy Hamilton arranged Ghost of a Chance; Gerald Wilson arranged We’re In Love Again; Ray Biondi arranged Chalmeu; and Mike Simpson arranged My Fantasy. Incidentally, Carney displays his versatility as a musician by playing bass clarinet on Ghost of a Chance. The violin solo heard on “A” Train is by Ray Nance, and the trumpet solos are also by Ray. The clarinet solos are by Jimmy Hamilton.

Here, then, is the great Harry Carney.