Barry Doyle Harris was born in Detroit on Dec. 15, 1929. He was the fourth of five children born to Melvin and Bessie Harris. His mother, a church pianist, started giving him piano lessons at age 4.

Barry Harris, a jazz pianist, educator and scholar of bebop music, died on Dec. 8. I joined his family, friends and former students several times this week to celebrate the “music man of God.” ...