Rufus Harley - Jazz Saxophonist and Bagpiper

I heard today on WPFW that Philly's own Jazz Saxophonist & Bagpiper, Rufus Harley passed away recently. Mr. Harley was known primarily as the first jazz musician to adopt the Scottish great Highland bagpipe as his primary instrument.

I am so sorry to hear the news of his making the transition especially because I was blessed with meeting and even got to know him a little bit in 1994 and 1995. At the same time, after having met him, I know he will be playing his bagpipes in Heaven turning it out!

I met Rufus Harley in the Spring of '94 in Philly during the years I worked for WRTI JAZZ 90.1 FM.

We did several remote broadcasts at different restaurants and Jazz Clubs in Philly where Rufus Harley was the main featured artist. We did remote broadcasts with him all through the Summer of '94 too.

He was a cool, funny, interesting talented man.

He also had a degree of knowledge on symbology and some other deep things that he would be breaking down to me and anybody else that was listening.

Once we became freinds he would even call me at the station sometimes and we would kick it about life in general.

He always, always had a fun, interesting and funny story to tell me. Some days he lifted my spirits whether he knew it or not when I had some bad days.

I had never seen a Black Man play the bagpipes in all my life until I met Rufus Harley. And I truly never saw a Black Man playing the bagpipes complete with Scottish kilt and dreadlocks. He was something else.

A lot of people I met in Philly in the Jazz Community would just laugh and start shaking their heads when his name was even mentioned but I never paid them any mind because from the first time I met Mr. Harley somehow on some level we connected. I would listen to him and the stories he told me. I think they all recognized his talent but they just thought he was an out there character who was from around the way.

What some may have missed was that he also had a very interesting life story once you got to know him.

Peace and Blessings to The Harley Family and Friends and to the soul of Rufus Harley!

Check out this obituary from All About Jazz: allaboutjazz.

Rufus Harley Discography:

Rufus Harley LPs
Bagpipe Blues; Atlantic SD-3001; 1966/1965 (Bagpipe Blues, Kerry Dancers, Who Can I Turn To [When Nobody Needs Me], More, Chim Chim Cheree, Sportin', Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child)

Scotch & Soul; Atlantic SD-3006; 1967 (Feeling Good, If You Could See Me Now, Taurus the 20th, Scotch & Soul, Passing the Cup Around, A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, Sufur)

A Tribute to Courage; Atlantic SD-1504; 1968 (Sunny, A Tribute to Courage [JFK], Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Ali, "X", About Trane)

King/Queens; Atlantic SD-1539; 1970 (Eight Miles High, Moon River, Love is Blue, Windy, King, Queens)

Re-Creation of the Gods; Ankh; 1972

Harley's Comet

Rufus Harley (Guesting) LPs
Laurie Anderson: Big Science--Songs from United States I-IV; Warner Bros. BSK-3674; 1982 ("Sweaters")

Herbie Mann: The Wailing Dervishes; Atlantic SD-1497; 1967 ("Flute Bag")

Sonny Rollins: The Cutting Edge; Fantasy/Milestone 9059; 1974 ("Swing Low")
The Roots: Do You Want More?!!!??!; 1994 ("Do You Want More?!!!??!")

Sonny Stitt: Deuces Wild; Atlantic SD-3008; 1967 ("Pipin' the Blues")

Rufus Harley CDs
The Pied Piper of Jazz; Label M 5710; 2000 (compilation of Atlantic cuts, 1965-70)
8 Live in Bethune, Beunry, France (Bagpipes of the World)

Rufus Harley w/Georges Arvanitas Trio: From Philadelphia to Paris; Carrere 96.632; 1997/1988 (Scotland the Brave, Me to Me, Greensleeves, Sem La, Oui Free, Homecoming, Moon River, The Monkey Driver, Amazing Grace, Nancy with the Laughing Face)

Brotherly Love; Tartan Pride CD-9801; 1998 (Brotherly Love, Auld Lang Syne, Scotland the Brave, Jesus Loves Me, Melancholy Baby, Stormy Weather, A Love Supreme)

Live & Direct in Jamaica--Bagpipe Ruled Jazz Summit; 2001 (live; America & Jamaica, Someday My Prince Will Come, Kingston, Montego Bay, Amazing Grace, Scotland the Brave, Sunny Moon for Two--A Tribute to Sonny Rollins, A Child is Born, Medley: Hava Nagila, Beethoven's 9th, We Shall Overcome, My Country 't'is of Thee, Solo Bagpipes)