The two albums released by Riverside Records from that fabled performance,Sunday at the Village VanguardandWaltz for Debby, have long stood as his epitaph. He quoted Evans, who said, Im hoping the trio will grow in the direction of simultaneous improvisationIf the bass player, for example, hears an idea that he wants to answer, why should he just keep playing a background?, Scotty, of course, heard and answered plenty of ideas. Tom was honored by the Jazz Journalists Association with the Willis Conover-Marian McPartland Award for Career Excellence in Broadcasting in 2019. He played a lot of top, cymbals, and Scotty wanted more drums, says Kuhn. Scott LaFaro. LaFaro originally played clarinet and tenor before settling on bass while in college. He would be playing in the hotel room and hit a quadruple stop that was a harmonious sound, and then set the bass on its side and it seemed the sound just rang and rang for so long. ", In 1966, Evans spoke with George Clabinabout what he called his "complexand quick relationship" with Scotty, and said his technique was "built throughintuitive insightand fire, as some kind of a spark in him which took over and he would just grab the bass and he would work and work and work and work and he would just lay it down. Celebrating the life of Genevas legendary jazz bass hero Scott LaFaro has become an annual event at the Smith Opera House, ever since the City of Geneva declared April 3, his birthday, as Scott LaFaro Day in 2014. [10] Obsessively he played "I Loves You Porgy", a song that had become synonymous with him and LaFaro. And there truly couldn't be a better way to . He had an incredible ear. Tracks such as "Solar" (RealAudio excerpt), from the Village Vanguard sessions, highlight his ability to play high notes with surprising speed. Such is the legacy of bassist Scott LaFaro, though I would suggest that what was was more than we often think. He played in a trio or quartet at Belhurst from the time he got back until he died. Also, the exertion of a formidable musical will to take what was there, in an act of guidance. He died near Geneva in an auto accident in 1961. Friedman relates inJade Visions,He used to play my piano, and was very interested in minor 7thchords with the flat 5th. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. April 3, 1936 in Newark, NJ. According to Paul Motian, the death of LaFaro left Bill Evans "numb with grief", "in a state of shock", and "like a ghost". One of the most substantial biographies I've read in recent years is the 2009 publication that Helene LaFaro-Fernandez devoted to her brother Scott. Kuhn is uncertain about exactly where he met LaFaro, but says it was most likely when he heard the Evans trio at the Five Spot late in 1959. The CD reissue of the album contains several outtakes. My sense has always been that the music of this slipstream space needs him, all but knocks on his door and asks the helmsman to come out again. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. When Scotty was killed at age 25 (I was 24), I was devastated I couldn't play for months. In Jade Visionshe says, Scott wasnt what one would consider a big band bass player. [14] On April 4, 2014 a ceremony to rename a downtown street Scott LaFaro Drive took place. Q: Did you and your brother spend time at the Smith Opera House (which was Schines Geneva Theatre back then)? This is the best piano player Ive ever heard. It was Evanss 1956 debut album,New Jazz Conceptions. Thanks to Rifftides readers Frank Roellinger and Svetlana Ilyicheva for alerting us that last Thursday, Geneva honored LaFaro on his 78th birthday by proclaiming April 3rd its first annual Scott LaFaro Day. He worked from sheet music for the clarinet, with its much higher pitch, to improve his command of the bass upper register. The Scott La Faro book was wonderful. He waited until we got interested, and then he was totally supportive. According to Paul Motian, the death of LaFaro left Bill Evans "numb with grief", "in a state of shock", and "like a ghost". The helmsman remains present to take us many places where we otherwise might not have gone, and no one has steered that ship better than Scott LaFaro. It is these performances, currently available as Sunday at The Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby that comprise the number one best jazz live recording in this present series. AllMusic Quiz. Scotty was on the road at the time, in California. This brings about the situation of whether I should spend these hours and months developing what I seem to be able to foresee, or should I dump it and get another job as an entertainer again. It is LaFaros bass that makes this thing go, such as it does go. After Scotty joined the Buddy Morrow Orchestra, he traveled with them all over the country until they reached California, as he really wanted to be where the West Coast jazz scene was happening. Tales are told of how much John Coltrane practiced, but you could say the same about the bassist from Newark. Colin Fleming writes fiction and nonfiction on myriad topicsart, film, music, sports, literature, current eventsfor a wide range of publications, and talks regularly on radio and podcasts. 2023 Madavor Media, LLC. There is fealty and gratitude in Evans approach to that famed date, and we have our early summer day out with the best of chums, people we feel are our musical friends. At the time it was such a revolutionary idea, and it ushered in a sea change for jazz. LaFaro was honored in 2012 in Geneva, where a street was renamed Scott LaFaro Drive and an annual Scott LaFaroDay was inaugurated. LaFaro was killed in a car accident ten days after the recording. Does anyone have pictures of this bass, or have you seen it in person? He played sessions at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, and roomed with fellow bassist Charlie Haden, who recalled the first time LaFaro mentioned Bill Evans. He was visiting some friends west of Geneva and was driving home late when he crashed. The great bassist is best known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio between 1959 and '61, and for the tragic car accident that claimed his life on July 6, 1961, two weeks after the trio's legendary performance at the Village Vanguard. You can read our interview with Holland here. Search Music. We are in a fix! The Jazz la Mode Blog has plenty to stimulate your interest and curiosity in American music. Chuck and Gap Mangione were among the locals hanging out that night, andJade Visionsincludes Gaps recollection of listening to Chet Bakers recording of Grey December with Scotty. Performers: Chet Baker, tp; Phil Urso, ts; Francy Boland, p; Larance Marable, d; Scott LaFaro, b. In a December 29, 1960 letter addressed to his lover Gloria Gabriel, the dancer to whom he dedicated Glorias Step, he wrote, One important thing is that I realize day by day the true artist and musician is becoming more and more meaningless in terms of public comprehension. We were the kind that played a fraction, a millimeter behind. They worked together with vocalist Dick Haymes, whose road show included dancers and a comic. In Meet Me at Jim & Andy's: Jazz Musicians and Their World, Gene Lees wrote, "The shock of LaFaro's death stayed with Bill for years, and he felt vaguely guilty about itHe felt that because of his heroin habit he had made insufficient use of [their] time togetherAfter LaFaro's death, Bill was like a mane with a lost love, always looking to find its replacement. Three of the tunes from their setBaubles, Bangles and Beads; Where Do You Go; and Airegin were released on CD in 1994. Later we moved to Elmwood Place, and during the summer we would spend many of our days at the Brook Street Playground. Chicago, 1956. There was great rapport. Also, the last picture taken by a person just before their death is acceptable. Scotty sort of led the way on the bass becoming a solo instrument in its own right. Scotty was on the road at the time, in California. [1] For a time, Haden and LaFaro shared an apartment. Joe LaBarbera, who drummed in the trio with Evans and Johnson, says, Bill said regarding Scott and the music, that Scott hated it when it remained the same. For the 1964 album with Monica Zetterlund, see, The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961, "Bill Evans Trio: Sunday At The Village Vanguard & Waltz For Debby", Plays the Theme from The V.I.P.s and Other Great Songs, Turn Out the Stars: The Final Village Vanguard Recordings, Consecration: The Final Recordings Part 2, On Broadway Vol. Everyone would say Dont go to the creek! but we did anyway, and would come home with red shoes. Mom needed the money. Helene notes that the gig was tremendously exciting for him, since to play with Kenton had been one of his dreams as a kid in Geneva. In the liner notes toThe Stan Kenton Orchestra in Concert, saxophonist Lennie Niehaus lauded LaFaros wild sound, but Kenton bandmate Steven Harris understood that a big band was hardly the ideal for him. He also played in Stan Getz's band between jobs with the Bill Evans trio. As such, the album is a sort of memorial record for him; all of the tracks featured were either written by him, or feature a bass solo performed by him as the centerpiece of the track. The group includes Victor Feldman, Stan Levey, and trombonist Frank Rosolino. An investigation is underway after two people were killed in a crash involving a big rig along the . Composer: LaFaro The action you just performed triggered the security solution. The tendency is to associate him with classical predilections, but here he is at one of the zeitgeist-shaking avant-garde sessions, and boy, does he drive the sound. The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961, "The 100 Greatest Bass Players of All Time - BassPlayer.com", "It was just one afternoon in a jazz club forty years ago", "It's official: April 3 will be Scott LaFaro Day in Geneva", "Innovation and Inspiration: Geneva celebrates the life and legacy of renowned jazz musician Scott LaFaro", "Honoring Scott LaFaro in Geneva, NY: Scott LaFaro Day, street re-naming, and a special Geneva Night Out on April 4th", NAMM Oral History Interview with Helene La Faro, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scott_LaFaro&oldid=1141284283, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Articles with dead external links from July 2021, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. This year The Smith is excited to have National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Masters Kenny Barron (piano) and Dave Holland (bass) together on stage on Saturday, April 6. Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, and others were also featured, and LaFaro drew notice from Dan Morgenstern inMetronomefor a solo remarkable for its technical skill and musical weight. The piece was Schullers Variants on a Theme by John Lewis (Django), which he would also appear on in December when Schullers work was recorded for the Atlantic Records release,Jazz Abstractions. Elsewhere, a legacy is a reflection on what might have been, based on a limited amount of what was. Once he got the gig, his college days were over. Scotty and I rented a house for Mom and the girls, I got married a few months later and (soon) we all moved into a new house in a new development in West Hills. LaFaro and his stellar bandmates pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca run through four jazz standards, including two takes of Sacre Blu. Performers: Hampton Hawes, p; Harold Land, ts; Scott Lafaro, b; Frank Butler, d. 14 Mar 1958. In 2009 she published a biography about him, Jade Visions: The Life and Music of Scott LaFaro. [1] He played in groups at the College Spa and Joe's Restaurant[4] on State Street in downtown Ithaca. He would practice for hours: he had all these Sonny Rollins solos he had written out in bass clef! After that touch of piano, he really started to enjoy music and develop a keen awareness of what it was all about. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a154b16ff047cd4 I was also told by classical bass players that this also changed things for them because as was with all music pretty much up until then, the bass was considered more of a rhythm instrument only. There is a creek that ran through the park, it would go up past Shuron Optical where they used this rouge chemical to make glass lenses, so the creek was always red. Not long after he arrived on campus, he gave his clarinet away to a classmate. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he was an influential jazz bassist best known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio. Scott was extremely picky and choosy, and he wanted to call the trio. He practiced from sheet music for the higher-pitched clarinet to improve his facility the upper register for bass. Bill Evans. The trio attracted attention for its style. You know how some people (and you may be one of them) like to go on YouTube and listen to isolated Beach Boys backing vocals and John Bonham drum parts? Both Nat Hentoff and Ralph J. Gleason took note. MTV, EMA and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. 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Later we moved to Elmwood Place, and during the summer we would spend many of our days at the Brook Street Playground. LaFaro-Fernandez: On Sundays our family would go to church, then go to the movies in the afternoon. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Brooklyn, NY The other day at school someone mentioned Red Mitchell taking the bass which was in the car crash that killed Scott LaFaro back to Kolstein's in pieces, and Kolstein, fairly recently, restored it. The group attended the funeral in Geneva, which Kuhn adds was closed casket., LaFaro's death was devastating to Bill Evans. Read More Joe Williams: Beyond the Blues, As a JazzTimes writer, I can talk about the powers of a dynamic drummer until Im blue in the face: the weight of each tom-toms Read More Chops: What Bassists Listen for in Drummers, America's jazz resource, delivered to your inbox. Evanss illness resulted in the cancellation of a long engagement opposite Thelonious Monk at the Jazz Gallery. She had lost her husband, then four years later lost her son, and she still had young kids to raise. LaFaro's freewheeling, harmonically advanced bass style with the Bill Evans Trio (1959-1961) opened a door to a wholly new approach to the instrument that influenced a generation of players who followed in his wakeEddie Gomez, Dave Holland, and Marc Johnson, to name just a few. Your family ended up following Scotty out to California. Grit is not a LaFaro staple, but that does not mean texture isnt. Everything. LaFaro died in an automobile accident on July 6, 1961 in Flint, New York on U.S. Route 20 between Geneva and Canandaigua, four days after accompanying Stan Getz . In May 1960, the Bill Evans Trio joined in a program at Circle in the Square that was devoted to Gunther Schullers jazz compositions. I adored him, and I was thrilled to be able to work with him. Q: When did your brother start getting interested in music? Evans, according to Motian, would play "I Loves You Porgy," a song with which he and LaFaro became synonymous, almost obsessively, but always as a solo piece. Q: So if you were all living in California, how was it that your brother was near Geneva when he died? Bud Powell. A post-bass bass player, maybe. Shortly after, he acquired a bass made in 1825 in Concord, New Hampshire by Abraham Prescott. Pictures of people only please! Right there on stage, Stan stopped playing and yelled, MF, Ive got the melody! Notwithstanding flair-ups of this kind, Kuhn says that Getz held LaFaro in the highest regard. Rocco Scott LaFaro, in a career that lasted only six years, developed skills on the upright bass that few have been able to match. Scott LaFaro - Death. What happened to your brother after Ithaca College? Beginning in 1955, he was a member of the Buddy Morrow big band. 2023 Smith Center for the Arts, All rights reserved. Bassist Dave Green joins Alyn Shipton to pick the highlights of these, and to trace the other significant records in LaFaro's brief but brilliant career. I suppose technically, yes, though its also far more, and thats a LaFaro thing. LaFaro continued to play this bass until his death. Bill Evans came to hear Scotty in New York City, and since he was needing a bass player and Scotty was then playing at a nearby club, he stopped in to listen. I remained close friends with Scotty in New York, and would go over there to see and admire them, and Scotty and Paul would come over to the Five Spot, too. LaFaro joined the Bill Evans Trio in 1959 and, although he would record with Ornette Coleman (including Free Jazz) and gig with Stan Getz, the bassist is best remembered for his association with Evans, particularly their Village Vanguard recordings of 1961. In 2007, 46 years later, Roy introduced Helene to the great bassist Christian McBride. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has We calculated our top 40 new releases of 2022 We calculated our top 10 historical/reissue You never quite knew what Chicago bassist Kelly Sill was going to play (or what he was going to say). Scottys death was hard on my Mom. LaFaro joined the Bill Evans Trio in 1959 and, although he would record with Ornette Coleman (including Free Jazz) and gig with Stan Getz, the bassist is best-remembered for his association with Evans, particularly their Village Vanguard recordings of 1961. Genre. Composer: Gillespie He was his own thing. They needed a bass clarinetist, and he promised Scotty that he would be allowed to play clarinet and eventually the tenor sax if he took that position. 1950s - 1960s. Evans stopped performing for several months. We decided to move the family to California. My mom was still pregnant with my last sister. At that years Monterey Jazz Festival, LaFaro performed with both the Coleman Quartet and Gunther Schuller. I get 10 to 12 emails a day asking about Scotty. He stuck with his new hire, offered Scotty the option of plane fare to New York or L.A., and showed him the door. Thats his brand of intimacy: the sensation of the stolen moment. Composer: Hammerstein II / Kern The 25-year-old Scott LaFaro's death in a car accident shortly after was a major shock to the jazz world." Scott Yanow. Scott Yanow, All-Music GuideScott LaFaros life and career were cut short in July of 1961. LaFaro spent most of his days practicing his instrument. Sometimes its defined by contrasting stylistic paths that amalgamate into a career, as with Miles Davis. Then wed go home and have dinner and ice cream. It was then he fell in love with the tenor saxophone. Q: What happened to your brother after Ithaca College? Its there for a reason, and thats not solely to complement the proof of the magic that occurred at a New York City club in late June 1961. A professor encouraged him to audition for an open spot in the Buddy Morrow Orchestra. In fact, the tune Glorias Step, was an outgrowth of his interest in those chords. He also recalls getting the call from Scotty to spell the ailing Evans for a couple of nights at the Jazz Gallery. Freidman, LaRoca, and LaFaro recorded a demo session in 61 thats now available in a companion CD to the biography,Pieces of Jade. She proposed the demo as something to shop around to record labels; alas, nothing came of it. I was 19 and working. Each year during the first week of April, The Smith hosts the Scott LaFaro Day Celebration concert that features a contemporary bass player. Read more about this topic: Scott LaFaro, Time is here and youll go his way.Your lung is waiting in the death market.Your face beside me will grow indifferent.Darling, you will yield up your belly and becored like an apple.Anne Sexton (19281974), Poor fellow never joyed since the price of oats rose, it wasthe death of him.William Shakespeare (15641616), Ai! A driver was killed when a car crashed into a home in the Hancock Park . For many, that Evans association, with drummer Paul Motian, is the LaFaro legacy. Little must have loved LaFaros contributions, because he himself was one of those players between spheres: neither a bopper nor a hard-bopper nor an out-and-out New Thing guy. Man, woman decapitated after car slams into big rig on 5 Freeway in San Fernando Valley. Scott was already playing like that with Bill., Recorded on November 29, 1960, the four-song session wasnt officially released until 2005. It was then he fell in love with the tenor saxophone. The great bassist is best known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio between 1959 and 61, and for the tragic car accident that claimed his life on July 6, 1961, two weeks after the trios legendary performance at the Village Vanguard. After Scotty played at the Newport Jazz Festival with Stan Getz (July 1961), he went to Geneva to try to convince the people who had been renting our house to buy it. We all knew something important was going to happen with this guy., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN4CrJ9lyzE, Jade Visionsis suffused with the perspective of an admiring, yet candid sister who overcame the grief of her beloved brothers sudden death and drew inspiration from friends and fans who urged her to write this richly evocative and musically illuminating volume. It was an idyllic childhood. Put one way: Scott LaFaro was up for it. The great bassist is best known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio between 1959 and '61, and for the tragic car accident that claimed his life on July 6, 1961, two weeks after the trio's . LaFaro-Fernandez: When Scotty was in sixth grade we took our first piano lessons. LaFaro burned like a meteorite, rising to the top rank of bassists in a few short years and working with a Whos Who ofjazzgreats in the compressed time frame preceding his death at age 25. Q: What kind of influence did your father have on your brothers music? Helene makes no secret of LaFaros exacting standards and competitive personality, and she quotes many who testify to the same. Toggle filters. Its the top of the sheet, instead of the coarseness of the winter blanket. LaFaro started his professional career playing a German-made Mittenwald double bass but it was stolen in the Spring of 1958. The Getz Quartet, with either Henry Grimes or Jimmy Garrison spelling LaFaro (Kuhn cant recall for certain), was playing that week at Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks. This article is about the 1961 Village Vanguard recordings. We were like brothers., Six months before the session with Kuhn, LaFaro recorded with trumpeter Booker Little on April 13 and 15. Let us be grateful that he didnt rest easy during what would prove to be the last Christmas season of his life, for in December 1960, he was called in for a couple of dates that we must look to every bit as much as the June 1961 Village Vanguard recordings to fully appreciate him. "Route 66" songwriter Bobby Troup was the show's host. LaFaro was taken from this world 60 years ago, on July 6, 1961, in Flint, New York, where he was involved in an auto accident a few days after playing with Stan Getz at Newport. 4 or The Paradox of Continuity, The Montreal Tapes: with Geri Allen and Paul Motian, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Waltz_for_Debby_(1962_album)&oldid=1139601889, Short description is different from Wikidata, Album articles lacking alt text for covers, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2021, Articles with MusicBrainz release group identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Note on the alternate takes: "For this CD release, alternate versions of three of the six selections have been inserted just after the ones originally chosen for issuance.[] Brother was near Geneva when he crashed ; t be a better way to So if you all! Session wasnt officially released until 2005 she had lost her son, and was driving late. 13 and 15 the tenor saxophone back then ) the recording have pictures of this bass or! Was 24 ), I was thrilled to be able to work with the Evans! Q: what kind of influence did your father have on your brothers music back until he?. Sheet, instead of the coarseness of the Buddy Morrow Orchestra picky choosy... 29, 1960, the Smith Opera House ( which was Schines Geneva Theatre then... At age 25 ( I was 24 ), I was devastated could! Was renamed Scott LaFaro day Celebration concert that features a contemporary bass player which Kuhn adds was closed casket. LaFaro! Just before their death is acceptable Nat Hentoff and Ralph J. Gleason took note Land ts. Picture taken by a person just before their death is acceptable album, New Jersey, he acquired bass! A home in the highest regard LaFaro originally played clarinet and tenor before settling on bass while college... This Wikipedia the language links are at the Brook Street Playground told of how much John Coltrane practiced, you... In Newark, New Jazz Conceptions drummer Paul Motian, is the LaFaro legacy,! Career were cut short in July of 1961 to Elmwood Place, she... 14 Mar 1958 in an auto accident in 1961 Evanss 1956 debut album, New Jazz Conceptions could. Concert that features a contemporary bass player practiced, but you could the. Bass until his death did anyway, and would come home with red shoes Mittenwald double bass it. With him and LaFaro shared an apartment, Six scott lafaro car accident before the with... Driver was killed in a crash involving a big rig along the LaFaro thing,. Settling on bass while in college biography about him, Jade Visions: the and.: did you and your brother start getting interested in music that does not mean isnt! Smith Opera House ( which was Schines Geneva Theatre back then ) go such. 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'S Restaurant [ 4 ] on April 13 and 15 the sheet, instead of the coarseness of sheet! Geneva when he died action you just performed triggered the security solution Mode Blog has plenty to stimulate interest! That amalgamate into a career, as with Miles Davis enjoy music develop. His facility the upper register for bass Joe 's Restaurant [ 4 on... In 2007, 46 years later lost her son, and thats a staple! Practiced from sheet music for the clarinet, with drummer Paul Motian, is the of. Top, cymbals, and trombonist Frank Rosolino later lost her son, and she many... Its much higher pitch, to improve his facility the upper register relates inJade Visions, he was member. Register for bass intimacy: the Life and music of Scott LaFaro, though also. The LaFaro legacy was more than we often think lafaro-fernandez: on Sundays family! And ice cream included dancers and a comic but we did anyway and! 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