On a rainy afternoon in Akron, it isn’t hard to imagine why Ralph Carney moved away to San Francisco over 20 years ago. At the same time, it is easy to understand why he still calls Akron home and returns here as much as possible. “There is a dismal beauty that inhabits Akron much of the year, and in between those days of sunshine, a lot of great music can be written,” Carney said. It is an odd statement to say the least, as his newest offering, “Serious Jass Project 2,” is a traditional collection of jazz standards, none of which were written by the artist. Carney instead focuses on performing the music. He plays saxophone and clarinet, and considers himself a multi-instrumentalist.