Jazz Articles about Rufus Harley

Unconventional Instruments

by Karl Ackermann
July 27, 2021

ECM regularly tops lists of the best jazz labels though their full name--Edition of Contemporary Music--would argue for a broader scope of content. A substantial number of their most popular albums, such as Carla Bley's Escalator Over The Hill (1974), Egberto Gismonti: Dança Dos Escravos (1989), Nils Petter Molvær's Khmer (1997), and many more, are not jazz per se. At least not by the traditional criteria. Looking at the presence of unusual instruments in jazz requires that we ...

Rare and Unusual Instruments in Jazz

by Hrayr Attarian
March 29, 2015

Historically the cornet was the quintessential jazz instrument but over a century of its evolution other instruments have also become part of the regular jazz armamentarium. These include common ones such as the piano, saxophone, bass and drums to the more occasionally appearing violin, clarinet and other percussion instruments. There are few, however, that exhibit unique sounds and though infrequently utilized within the jazz mainstream, represent a fresh and delightfully unusual approach to the music by its ingenious practitioners.

Rufus Harley: Pipes of Peace

by Victor L. Schermer
March 11, 2008

Rufus Harley Pipes of Peace Produced and directed by George Manney A Brotherly Love All-Star Tour Production 2007 Rufus Harley (1936-2006) was a supreme individualist. He started out as a very competent reed player--on soprano, alto, and tenor sax, as well as the flute. He studied with Dennis Sandole, a supreme teacher, who sired the Coltrane generation of Philadelphia-rooted musicians. Then the desire to be unique took hold of him. ...

Rufus Harley: Pipes of Peace

by Samuel Chell
November 8, 2007

Rufus Harley Pipes Of Peace B.L.A.S.T. 2007

Not too many subjects would seem more assured of cinematic success than a profile of the world's first and only recognized jazz bagpiper--whose life story ended, moreover, with his appropriation of the title “International Ambassador of Freedom." On the other hand, when a title says it all ("Mouse plays flute to seduce elephant!"), the film director's task can be all the more daunting, since everything that follows ...

Rufus Harley: Re-Creation of the Gods

by Hrayr Attarian
July 8, 2006

The mere mention of jazz played on bagpipes is guaranteed to get a look of disbelief from most people, but not from listeners who have heard Rufus Harley, especially Re-Creation of the Gods, a 1972 disc that many consider his best. The Transparency label has reissued this record on CD with four extra tracks and pristine digital remastering of the sound.

Rufus Harley, one of the only bagpipe-playing jazz musicians in the history of jazz, is a virtuoso on the ...

Rufus Harley: The Pied Piper Of Jazz

by Jim Santella
January 1, 2001

A 50-50 mixture of straight-ahead jazz and ethnic Scotch music makes for something rare and unusual. Rufus Harley was already clearly accomplished as a jazz tenor saxophonist in the early 1960s. Growing up in Philadelphia can do that to you. His tenor and flute work on The Pied Piper Of Jazz leave a favorable impression. The televised wake of President John F. Kennedy led to his learning the bagpipes. All those who watched were, no doubt, affected in some way. ...