Harris was one of the musicians I knew well when I lived in NYC in the 1970s (I wrote the first piece that ever appeared about him in Downbeat, around 1976), but I've lost touch (I last went to see him about the year 2000, I would say) - his drummer Leroy Williams used to live in my neighborhood on the West Side, and worked for a while in a great trio at the West End with Bob Neloms and Percy France which I set up (and which Phil Schapp later took credit for, oh well) - I first got to know Barry when he was the Sunday pianist at Bradley's in the 1970s (though I first saw him at Jimmy's with Wilbur Little in the early 1970s) - he worked at Bradley's with Hal Dotson. Al Haig used to come in to see him (this was also the place where, prior to Barry, Jaki Byard was the Sunday pianist; one night he was blasting away when in walks Monk and Mingus, together! strange evening; Monk kept walking over and whispering in Jaki's ear, Mingus sat down and had a huge steak dinner) - I hope Barry is well, I know he had a stroke some time ago, he's a great guy and a charismatic, deep musician. Hear him on the right night and it is an experience like no other -