Rare And Unusual Instruments In Jazz

By HRAYR ATTARIAN, 

Published: 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. 

The following list includes musicians who mostly or almost exclusively play these rare instruments. It does not include those who occasionally use them for effect or in conjunction to their primary axe. 

Rufus Harley, Re-creation of the Gods - Transparency, 1972

Perhaps the most unusual of the bunch is the bagpipe, a reservoir of air and enclosed reeds that comes in many varieties depending on geographic origin. The most commonly used type in modern times is the Scottish version and the most accomplished piper in jazz played this type. Rufus Harley was a tenor saxophonist who picked up the bagpipe after being enamored by it when he heard it played at president John F Kennedy's funeral.

He recorded a handful of albums for the Atlantic label but perhaps, his most uniformly superb record is the live 1972 date captured on the small Transparency label, Re-creation of the Gods. The disc is solidly in the soul-jazz tradition with a strong sense of spirituality and an earthy groove that organist Bill Mason helps create. Harley's expansive tone on the bagpipes is reminiscent of Rahsaan Roland Kirk blowing into a manzello and a saxophone  simultaneously.

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