Rufus Harley, 70; Jazz Bagpiper Who Played With Gillespie, Others

Rufus Harley, 70, known as the world’s first and only jazz bagpipe player, died Aug. 1 of prostate cancer in Philadelphia.

Harley played several instruments in his youth -- mostly the saxophone -- but decided to take up bagpipes after he saw television coverage of bagpipers performing at President Kennedy’s funeral in 1963.

Harley stood out at jazz concerts not only for his unusual instrument but also because he dressed in kilts. He became a frequent sideman on records and in concerts with saxophonists Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon and Sonny Stitt, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and flutist Herbie Mann. With his own band he recorded four albums on Atlantic Records, including “Scotch and Soul” in 1966.

He performed with Bill Cosby’s backing band at the 1997 Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl. He also made TV appearances, including on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson.

Harley, a native of Raleigh, N.C., who moved to Philadelphia with his family when he was a child, described himself on his home answering machine as an “international ambassador and messenger of freedom.” Known for promoting Philadelphia during his travels, he would give away miniature replicas of the Liberty Bell, small American flags and copies of the Constitution to people he met.