Bagpipe Blues

August 3, 2016 8:15 PM

Rufus Harley debut jazz recording in 1965 was unexpected, mostly because one featured instrument was bagpipes. In seven tracks: Bagpipe Blues, Kerry Dancers, Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me), More, Chim Chim Cher-ee, Sportin', Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child.
posted by hippybear (16 comments total)

RUFUS HARLEY!!!!! OMG!!! I LOVE HIM SO CRAZY MUCH I CAN'T EVEN HANDLE IT!!!!

Thank you, Hippybear, for reminding me that our world is capable of sufficient grace to allow for the existence of Rufus Harley. I really needed that today.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 8:21 PM on August 3, 2016 [1 favorite]

previously: Rufus Harley has a secret ...
posted by philip-random at 8:36 PM on August 3, 2016

I celebrate diversity, I really do.

But I found that very hard to listen to, which makes me sad. Bagpipe sad.
posted by ashbury at 8:41 PM on August 3, 2016

Explored some more on the youtubes. Nope, couldn't do it. Found myself gritting my teeth, which is too bad since the vibe from all the other musicians on the tracks I listened to seemed pretty decent.
posted by ashbury at 8:46 PM on August 3, 2016

Cool! As far as I'm concerned, this pushes the boundaries of music and art in an awesomely weird way I'd never have expected in a million years. That's jazz. I'm going to look up more of him.
posted by teponaztli at 8:50 PM on August 3, 2016 [1 favorite]

No Rufus Harley post is complete without his run at "8 Miles High" - he was an original, was making compelling music right up to the end of his life, and is one of the great eccentrics of a music packed with beautiful weirdos. He brought the bagpipes into the jazz avant garde to stay, too - Paul Dunmall probably now doing the most to explore what they're capable of.
posted by ryanshepard at 9:07 PM on August 3, 2016 [3 favorites]

I heard him try to play Body and Soul one time back in about 1970. I wanted to stuff something in my ears it was so bad. Those drones, my god, those drones.
posted by charlesminus at 9:49 PM on August 3, 2016

I heard him try to play Body and Soul one time back in about 1970

Maybe he succeeded and you just didn't like it?
posted by teponaztli at 10:17 PM on August 3, 2016 [2 favorites]

Scotch & Soul wasn't the first weirdest-record-ever I ever owned, but I learned of it from an old housemate who was one of the most eccentric people I've ever known. He was a skinny black guy my age, who had worked at a sandwich shop for years, whose mom was in jail for trying to kill her boss with a brick, and who loved Gang of Four, Wire, and The Swell Maps in 1990 when those bands were as forgotten as they ever were. He had a band, sort of, with a taxi-driver friend and a particular drum machine (because it had the right 'pedaling hi-hat' sound). He was one of the most alienated people I've ever known, but the nicest guy. I think he had snagged the album from his dad.

One day we came home to a note saying he was moving out and nobody ever saw him again. We knew another of his friends and no news of tragedy ever came out, so as far as we ever knew he just plain bugged out. He left all of his stuff -- everything -- including the copy of Scotch & Soul that is in my record shelves 10ft away from where I'm sitting now. I pull it out every once in a while and reminisce about ol' Grubby and the 416 house.
posted by rhizome at 10:43 PM on August 3, 2016 [4 favorites]

Huh. The only YouTube video that would play for me was the first one (Bagpipe Blues), and I had convinced myself I enjoyed it and then the bagpipes dropped out and I felt a huge sense of relief and I realized that the bagpipes had actually been stressing me out.

BUT!!

Then I started listening to random Rufus Harley YouTube videos, and he's awesome!
posted by Bugbread at 12:44 AM on August 4, 2016

Jazz.

Bagpipes.

Bagpipes.

Jazz.

NO.
posted by Devonian at 2:40 AM on August 4, 2016

So I actually generally like pipes (prefer uilleann generally), but "then the bagpipes dropped out and I felt a huge sense of relief" was so true. That said, I'm happier to know that this is out in the world, that someone was like, "what if?" and gave it a shot. But yeah, greatly prefer his work with other instruments like on "Kerry Dance" (which other than "Amazing Grace" is the first time I've heard a Celtic tune played in a jazz setting--awesome).

I checked out his Wikipedia page, which contains this gold nugget: "[While living in NYC] On several occasions, when a neighbor called the police to complain about Harley's practicing in his apartment, he would quickly put away his bagpipes and feign ignorance, asking the officers, 'Do I look like I'm Irish or Scottish to you?'"

AHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA
posted by smirkette at 6:57 AM on August 4, 2016

> I had convinced myself I enjoyed it and then the bagpipes dropped out and I felt a huge sense of relief

This was my reaction as well. But I'm glad to have been exposed to a previously undreamed-of musical realm!
posted by languagehat at 8:22 AM on August 4, 2016

Other than a cat being hit by a car, there is no more a displeasing sound than bagpipes. Everything depends on that damn, constant low B flat DRONE. Lord have mercy.
posted by Seekerofsplendor at 10:55 AM on August 4, 2016

I like jazz; I like bagpipes; I like "8 miles high". And now I know I like how Rufus Harley pulls this off successfully. Really neat stuff. Thanks.
posted by neutralmojo at 11:14 AM on August 4, 2016 [2 favorites]

This falls into the microtonal realm for me. It's jarring and vibrant and refreshing and (probably) unique. "Eight Miles High" is great. Thanks for the post!
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 2:37 PM on August 4, 2016