The Mirrors- A Green Dream

Recorded when Greg Ashley (singer and now Gris Gris main man) was still using a fake ID to get the latest and greatest mind-twisting gonzo to come through Texas. For fans of Pink Floyd (Syd Barret-era) and the Electric Prunes.




Carney Ball Johnson recorded live in 2005
 

Ralph Carney

Ralph Carney is a multi-instrumentalist/horn player who has spent the better part of the last 2 decades criss-crossing the world, on stage and in studios with the likes of Tom Waits, Jonathan Richman, William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, B-52's, Marc Ribot, Bill Laswell, David Thomas, Hal Wilner, Elvis Costello, Tipsy, Galaxie 500, Daevid Allen, Mushroom, Oranj Symphonette and The Black Keys, to name a few.

Ralph's own recordings are soundscapes not unlike the David Lynch, Jim Jarmusch, and Robert Frank movie soundtracks he's contributed to -- mixed with Dixieland, folk, swing and the experimental 70's pop sounds of Brian Eno. Ralph Carney is perhaps the most hard to describe multi-genre, multi-talented, wacked out pop and jazz hornplayer/singer/composer since Rahsaan Roland Kirk…

“Creates a one-man musical universe as unique and personal as its title implies. A-” -- Entertainment Weekly

Ralph himself says:
"... Life in Akron Ohio in the 60's was typical midwestern, you know, regular barber, crewcut, army men, a bunch of friends on the block, we pretended we were Zorro, Batman, Vikings, etc. The usual dramas of friendship and betrayal. Kennedy, frisbee, superballs, etc. I was into wind up record players and derbies and old magazines. I felt the ghosts and now I know about past life stuff, older brother and sister, dad who worked on polyester research, mom who smoked Carletons and had a creative imagination. I drew cartoons and stuff.

7th grade was the worst; but I grew my hair out a bit. Art class was my favorite. In love with lots of girls, only they didn't know. 8th grade -- ZOING!! Puberty hits and obsession with being a musician, started on a 5 string banjo. Bluegrass, country blues, Beatles (still). Banjo, violin (fiddle), harmonica. Then at 15 I took up saxophone, JAZZ JAZZ JAZZ. Mostly Blue Note, Rahsaan, Coltrane. Self taught. Worked in a cool mall record store. Graduated high school, joined "Tin Huey" older guys from different high school. Into Iggy and German rock, Faust, Can, etc. Played 3 nites a week in a basement. Also worked with Alan Myers of "Devo" playing out jazz. 1 year of college in Kent Ohio, went to see a lot of music. Jazz gigs in Cle. Sun Ra. Weather Report. Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Yuseff Lateif."