Carny

Carny, also spelled carnie, is a slang term used in North America for a Traveling carnival employee, and the language they use, particularly when the employee runs a game ("joint"), food stand ("grab" or "popper"), or ride at a carnival. The term "showie" is used synonymously in Australia.

Etymology

Carny is thought to have become popularized around 1931 in North America, when it was first colloquially used to describe one who works at a carnival. The word carnival, originally meaning a "time of merrymaking before Lent," came into use circa 1549.

Carny language

The carny vocabulary is traditionally part of carnival cant, a secret language. It is an ever-changing form of communication, in large part designed to be impossible to understand by an outsider. As words are assimilated into the culture at large, they lose their function and are replaced by more obscure or insular terms. Most carnies no longer use cant, but some owners/operators and "old-timers" still use some of the classic terms.

Rek people

The Rek is an ethnic group in South Sudan, a subgroup of the Dinka. Its members speak South-Western Dinka, also called Rek, a Nilotic language. Many members of this ethnicity are Christians. Some estimates put the Rek population at or exceeding 500,000 people.

References

Ray Nance

Ray Willis Nance (December 10, 1913, Chicago – January 28, 1976, New York City) was a jazz trumpeter, violinist and singer. He is best remembered for his long association with band leader Duke Ellington.

Early years

Nance led his own band in Chicago from 1932 to 1937. Then, he worked with Earl "Fatha" Hines from 1937 to 1939; and from 1939 to 1940 he worked with Horace Henderson.

Ellington tenure

Ellington hired Nance to replace trumpeter Cootie Williams in 1940. Nance's first recorded performance with Ellington was the Fargo, North Dakota ballroom dance. Shortly after joining the band, Nance was given the trumpet solo on the first recorded version of "Take the "A" Train," which became the Ellington theme, a major hit and a jazz standard. Nance's "A Train" solo is one of the most copied and admired trumpet solos in jazz history. Indeed, when Cootie Williams returned to the band more than twenty years later, he would play Nance's solo on "A Train" almost exactly as the original.

Nance was often featured on violin and was the only violin soloist ever featured in Ellington's orchestra (especially noteworthy is his violin contribution to the original 1942 version of "The 'C' Jam Blues"). He is also one of the better known male vocalists associated with Ellington's orchestra. On later recordings of "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)", Nance took the previously instrumental horn riff into the lead vocal, which constitute the line "Doo wha, doo wha, doo wha, doo wha, yeah!" He was often featured as vocalist on "Jump for Joy," "Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin'" and "Just Squeeze Me (But Please Don't Tease Me)". His multiple talents (trumpet, violin, vocals and also dancing) earned him the nickname "Floorshow".

Ellington

Ellington may refer to:

Places in the United States

Places in the United Kingdom

Other

People with the surname Ellington

Harry Carney

Harry Howell Carney (April 1, 1910 – October 8, 1974) was an American jazz musician whose virtuosity on the baritone saxophone influenced generations of subsequent players. He also performed on clarinet and bass clarinet, as well as alto saxophone in the early years of his career. Mainly known for his 45-year tenure in Duke Ellington's Orchestra, Carney's strong, steady saxophone often served as the anchor of Duke's music.

Early years

Harry Howell Carney was born in 1910 in Boston, Massachusetts. He began on the piano at age six, moved to the clarinet at 13, and added the alto saxophone a year later. He grew up next door to future Ellington bandmate Johnny Hodges, four years his elder, who was an early influence on his music. His other main influences included clarinetists Buster Bailey and Don Murray and saxophonists Coleman Hawkins and Adrian Rollini.

After playing a variety of gigs in New York City at the age of 17, Carney joined Ellington in Boston in 1927. He initially played alto and soprano saxes, doubling on clarinet while Otto Hardwick handled the baritone parts. Carney initially vied with clarinetist Rudy Jackson for the hot clarinet solos and with Hardwick for alto and soprano solos. An example of this is on Blue Bubbles, a song with Carney on alto and soprano, and Hardwick on baritone. As Hardwick didn't stand out on baritone sax as much as his other horns, Carney saw an opportunity and immediately purchased a baritone sax. His progress was quick, and soon began being featured on the instrument.