Born in Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, he took up drums at the age of 14 and was soon playing in pop and soul bands.^[1] Harris was a replacement drummer for The Rolling Stones on several occasions in 1962 when Tony Chapman was unavailable due to work.^[2]

In the late 1960s he was a member of the progressive rock band Woody Kern who recorded on Pye Records.^[3]

From 1987 onwards, Harris was a member of the Nottingham-based band Pinski Zoo, who blended free jazz with funk.^[4]

In 2001 he formed the group Zaum,^[1] named after the Russian Futurist concept Zaum. Their 2004 recording Above Our Heads the Sky Splits Open ^[5] is highly regarded, achieving a 5-star rating in The Penguin Guide to Jazz.^[3] Zaum's final recording before his death was the octet record "I hope you never love anything as much as I love you".^[6]

Harris died on 11 January 2008 in Dorchester, Dorset.^[1]

Career

References