Horace Meunier Harris, who for many years wrote the “Jazz in Britain” column for The American Rag, passed away on October 15, 2016 at the age of 90. Horace, who resided at Leonard Stanley, Gloucestershire, UK was a charming British citizen who started collecting jazz records before WWII. Besides writing for the Rag, he had written for a number of jazz periodicals, most notably the IAJRC Journal. According to F. Norman Vickers, “I was always edified when I read his writings. We exchanged a few personal e-mails and although we’d never met in person, I considered him a good friend, as he was to many.”
Drummer Hal Smith writes, “I had the pleasure of making Horace Harris’ acquaintance at the San Diego Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Festival in the 1990s. He was a very sophisticated man, but possessed a wonderful sense of humor and exquisite good taste in music. Later, Horace wrote several delightful articles about British Jazz musicians for AFCDJS’ Jazz Rambler. His contributions were always welcome—not only for his outstanding writing, but also for the information he shared regarding UK musicians who were not as well known to us as their American counterparts. I will miss Horace Harris. He was a terrific individual and a good friend.”
Mr. Harris’ final column for The American Rag appeared in the November-December 2015 issue. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Edwina, and his children Jamie and Manda. A granddaughter, Leila Herandi, wrote a remembrance of Horace Harris, “There goes Mack the Knife,” published online here: www.fleilingthroughlife.co.uk.
