Jazz Bagpipes.

[OC Richard]

This was the first time I've heard a bagpipe played with a jazz style.

Never heard of Rufus Harley then?

A black jazz sax player who was fairly successful with his jazz ensemble in New York in the early 1960's.

But when he attended John F Kennedy's funeral and heard the pipes play, he had a life-changing revelation: the Scottish Highland pipes were the best vehicle to express human emotion.

He then dumped the sax, got a set of pipes, and immediately used them with his jazz ensemble to complete an album already in progress.

So this album has him playing sax on some tracks, bagpipes on others. Tunes were jazz standards and his own compositions.

On that first album he hadn't figured out the drones so it's just chanter. His fingerings were his own, as he didn't bother to learn the normal/traditional Scottish technique.

Here's a cut from that first album. You'll hear the chanter fluttering/rumbling on the note low A flat (the note called "Low G" by pipers). It's a sign of a very weak reed being overblown by an inexperienced piper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HYMw...eature=related

The rest of his life he made albums and played clubs etc. His music got pretty far-out, and he would write or say odd rambling things about music, African gods, drones, etc etc.

He died recently.

Then, on the Irish uilleann pipes, there's Jerry O Sullivan, who has made it sort of a crusade to bring the pipes to hitherto foreign styles such as Northumbrian, American old-time, Jazz, J S Bach, etc. His jazz playing is very nice and tasty, like everything else he does.

Back in the 1970's here in Southern California there was a band called Montezuma's Revenge that had a fine Highland piper. He would play Bebop on the pipes quite well.

[Highlander31]

Never heard of Rufus Harley then?

A black jazz sax player who was fairly successful with his jazz ensemble in New York in the early 1960's.

But when he attended John F Kennedy's funeral and heard the pipes play, he had a life-changing revelation: the Scottish Highland pipes were the best vehicle to express human emotion....

Sorry, growing up in the San Francisco area, I was more into rock in those days. Did get interested for a short time in Herbie Hancock's music.

Back in the 1970's here in Southern California there was a band called Montezuma's Revenge that had a fine Highland piper. He would play Bebop on the pipes quite well.

I have heard of Montezuma's Revenge, although I wasn't familiar with there music. In 1971, I took my oath to defend the Constitution. That and my unit's mission were my focus for the next three and a half decades. That focus left little room for anything else.

[wildrover]

That...was awesome .

[Bob C]

Never heard of Rufus Harley then?

A black jazz sax player who was fairly successful with his jazz ensemble in New York in the early 1960's.

But when he attended John F Kennedy's funeral and heard the pipes play, he had a life-changing revelation: the Scottish Highland pipes were the best vehicle to express human emotion.

He then dumped the sax, got a set of pipes, and immediately used them with his jazz ensemble to complete an album already in progress.

So this album has him playing sax on some tracks, bagpipes on others. Tunes were jazz standards and his own compositions.

On that first album he hadn't figured out the drones so it's just chanter. His fingerings were his own, as he didn't bother to learn the normal/traditional Scottish technique.

Here's a cut from that first album. You'll hear the chanter fluttering/rumbling on the note low A flat (the note called "Low G" by pipers). It's a sign of a very weak reed being overblown by an inexperienced piper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HYMw...eature=related

The rest of his life he made albums and played clubs etc. His music got pretty far-out, and he would write or say odd rambling things about music, African gods, drones, etc etc.

He died recently.

Then, on the Irish uilleann pipes, there's Jerry O Sullivan, who has made it sort of a crusade to bring the pipes to hitherto foreign styles such as Northumbrian, American old-time, Jazz, J S Bach, etc. His jazz playing is very nice and tasty, like everything else he does.

Back in the 1970's here in Southern California there was a band called Montezuma's Revenge that had a fine Highland piper. He would play Bebop on the pipes quite well.

I met Rufus Harley at the first NYC Tartan Day parade a few years back. I have to admit I did not know who he was at that time. I found out later.

[Lachlan09]

Jazz bagpipes - that is scary !

About 20 years ago, I had a novelty/comedy skit idea rolling about in my head. I imagined the programme “Opportunity Knocks” (a UK TV talent show in the 1970’s and early 80’s) where the host, Hughie Green, introduced new acts upon which the viewing public would phone-vote.

In my imagination, Hughie introduced “…. All the way from Bonnie Scotland…… will you give a great welcome to the zany, the unforgettable, the one and only – Angus MacTavish and his Cockamaimy Bagpipe Band !”

Then, in full pipe-band uniform, including feather bonnets, plaids, kilts, hairy sporrans and all, comes Angus MacTavish and his Cockamaimy Bagpipe Band, all counter-marching to a traditional pipe-tune, until – all stop except one piper who plays one, long solo screeching note, before the whole band goes wild playing boogie-woogie and fast jazz music, with improvised solos etc. Meanwhile, the band does all manner of jitterbug moves and steps, including a piper lying on his side while playing and “walking” in a circle on the floor. Drummers play each other’s drums etc.

Of course, they win the phone vote !

[Highlander31]

...Here's a cut from that first album. You'll hear the chanter fluttering/rumbling on the note low A flat (the note called "Low G" by pipers). It's a sign of a very weak reed being overblown by an inexperienced piper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HYMw...eature=related

I listened to the song. Not only did I enjoy that cut, but I listened to the others listed as well. Time to track down and purchase a few CD's. Thanks for sharing the information on Rufus Harley.

[OC Richard]

I listened to the song. Not only did I enjoy that cut, but I listened to the others listed as well. Time to track down and purchase a few CD's. Thanks for sharing the information on Rufus Harley.

What was cool was, the other day, on Ebay I saw a CD set that had all of Rufus Harley's old vinyl albums re-released on it.

His first album seems to be quite rare, as I've only seen it come up a couple times in my ten years on Ebay.

I have the original vinyl of his album Kings/Queens. By that time he had got more used to playing pipes and he had all the drones going.