Everyone would say Dont go to the creek! but we did anyway, and would come home with red shoes. He worked from sheet music for the clarinet, with its much higher pitch, to improve his command of the bass upper register. Tracks such as "Solar" (RealAudio excerpt), from the Village Vanguard sessions, highlight his ability to play high notes with surprising speed. The last day was recorded for two albums, Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby.[8]. He practiced from sheet music for the higher-pitched clarinet to improve his facility the upper register for bass. Its no knock on Charlie Hadena formidable pioneer himselfto say that if hes a bass player, LaFaro is something else, to use the Coleman argot. Motian operated the same way; if anything, he was even more of a painter than the leader. Expansive range was a totem of the LaFaro sound, the idea that the bass was so much a bass that it was also not a bass and more than a bass. It remains what is likely Evans' most well-known song,[citation needed] one that he would play throughout his career. The group attended the funeral in Geneva, which Kuhn adds was closed casket., LaFaro's death was devastating to Bill Evans. Composer: Rosolino You can read our interview with Holland here. Performers: Thad Jones, tp; Herb Geller, as; Billy Taylor, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Elvin Jones, d. June 1959. Helene makes no secret of LaFaros exacting standards and competitive personality, and she quotes many who testify to the same. Performers: Hampton Hawes, p; Harold Land, ts; Scott Lafaro, b; Frank Butler, d. 14 Mar 1958. 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. Its the top of the sheet, instead of the coarseness of the winter blanket. 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. Killed in a car accident aged just 25, Scott LaFaro was widely regarded as the most technically gifted bassist of the 20th Century. Scott Yanow, All-Music GuideScott LaFaros life and career were cut short in July of 1961. 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. 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. Bud Powell. Pianist Walter Norris described him as a "wild fire," and said "he never used any stimulants to enhance life, but his every moment was seriously lived to the fullest." Though hed previously appeared onGolden Trombonewith Buddy Morrow,The Arrival of Victor Feldmanwas essentially the first LP that showcased his singular gifts. I get 10 to 12 emails a day asking about Scotty. Im in the position of having nothing you can put your finger on for sale., Evanss drug addiction was also a matter of concern for LaFaro. Everyone heard him. 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. We decided to move the family to California. Click to reveal [1] For a time, Haden and LaFaro shared an apartment. We also spent time at the First Presbyterian Church choir. Often controversial, always entertaining, JazzTimes is a favorite of musicians and fans alike. Available Qualities. These two albums, recorded less than two weeks prior: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ_rZZusz90 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbTEgBEaEM4. The top of the instrument is a three-piece plate of slab-cut fir; the back is a two-piece plate of moderately flamed maple with an ebony inlay at the center joint; the sides are made of matching maple. He was with Buddy Morrows band (1955-56), toured with Chet Baker (1956-57) and worked during the next few years with Ira Sullivan, Barney Kessel, Cal Tjader and Benny Goodman among others. - The Absolute Sound Scott LaFaro's Pieces of Jade features long-lost material recorded in New York City shortly before the bassist's death in a car accident in 1961. It was there his career exploded. Well, Michael Cera did play a bassist in Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World. Labels. New England Public Media | Scottys death was hard on my Mom. He was a musician from age 4. In spring 1960, he featured on a half-dozen tracks that trumpeter Booker Little cut for his second session as leader. On March 5, 2014, the Geneva (New York) City Council approved making April 3 Scott LaFaro Day. Paul Motian was on drums, Nobby Totah on bass. Nov 13, 2008 #2 Mark Carlsen Oct 4, 2004 At that years Monterey Jazz Festival, LaFaro performed with both the Coleman Quartet and Gunther Schuller. comments . . Steve Kuhn, who felt a brotherly kinship with Scotty and says his sudden death was the first major loss of my life, describes him as very strong-willed. (He also says that LaFaro, who was a fan of Formula One and sports car racing, drove a little too friskily for my taste.) A case in point was LaFaros departure from Kenton, which was precipitated by his displeasure with the bands new drummer, a situation that would repeat itself in 61 when he insisted that Stan Getz replace drummer Pete LaRoca. In Jade Visionshe says, Scott wasnt what one would consider a big band bass player. We would explore all around our neighborhood on West Street our house was where the elementary school is. It has rolled corners on the bottom and very sloped shoulders on the top, making it easier to get in and out of thumb position. She writes, What he said not only had an impact on me, but seemed to sum up much of what I had been hearing as I talked to musicians. Los Angeles Fire Department crews were called to the scene to extinguish the blaze. Providing entertainment, education, and the energizing force that pulls us all together in celebration of great work. Q: When did your brother start getting interested in music? Also included is "Porgy", originally omitted for lack of space.[]" Ted Gioia, in his 1997 survey,The History of Jazz, said, "LaFarotook far greater chances, departing markedly from the traditional walking line, instead offering countermelodies and guitar-like phrases. Evans was an articulate interweaver of a pianist, a melodic speaker, a filigree lord rather than a rhythm king. Elsewhere, a legacy is a reflection on what might have been, based on a limited amount of what was. Rocco Scott LaFaro (April 3, 1936 July 6, 1961)[1] was an American jazz double bassist known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio. The album was the fourth and final effort from the unitLaFaro died in a car accident just ten days after the live date at the Village Vanguard from which Waltz for Debby and its predecessor, Sunday at the Village Vanguard, were taken. [1] He played in groups at the College Spa and Joe's Restaurant[4] on State Street in downtown Ithaca. Scott Yanow, All-Music Guide Scott LaFaro's life and career were cut short in July of 1961. Put one way: Scott LaFaro was up for it. LaFaro and his stellar bandmates pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca run through four jazz standards, including two takes of Sacre Blu. It was written with so much love and insight. Victor Feldman. He waited until we got interested, and then he was totally supportive. Q: Did you and your brother spend time at the Smith Opera House (which was Schines Geneva Theatre back then)? Taking a tip from Red Mitchell, he trained himself to pluck the strings of his bass with his index and middle finger independently. When Scotty was in sixth grade we took our first piano lessons. In 2009, Resonance Records reissued five tracks from Memories for Scotty on Pieces of Jade, together with twenty-two minutes of LaFaro and Bill Evans practising "My Foolish Heart" during a rehearsal in 1960. She recalls that Zoot Sims so impressed her brother that he was impatient for the intermission to end, and that bassist Leroy Vinnegar hummed all the while he was playing, a habit Scotty later developed as well. Helene says he talked about seeing Duke Ellington for weeks, shaking his head in disbelief of howthey could fool with the melody and make it so much more. As for religion, she says that whenever shes asked, I always answer, We went wherever the music was best. That was Dads criterion, be it a mass at a Roman Catholic church or Friday evening Shabbat dinner at the cantors home., Scottys first instruments were piano, clarinet, and tenor saxophone. Those years of self-discovery can be challenging at times and those moments found their perfect expression in the Village Vanguard SessionsI listened to that music for so many hours that it became my constant silent companion and a beacon of hope.. LaFaro was killed in a car accident ten days after the recording. Once he got the gig, his college days were over. 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.[] The album included five tracks recorded in New York City during 1961 with pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca.[13]. [17], When I was in L.A., Scotty LaFaro and I roomed together. LaFaro achieved fame in the Bill Evans Trio, which he joined in 1959 and which featured Paul Motian on drums. I adored him, and I was thrilled to be able to work with him. The two albums released by Riverside Records from that fabled performance,Sunday at the Village VanguardandWaltz for Debby, have long stood as his epitaph. 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. Also, the exertion of a formidable musical will to take what was there, in an act of guidance. By City News Service. LaFaro is a potent cup of teaa brilliant future is in store for this youthful bassist from Geneva, N.Y., (Film footage ofLaFarois extremely rare. On December 19 and 20, he took part in John Lewis, Gunther Schuller, and Jim Halls Jazz Abstractions sessions, with buddy Bill Evans and Eric Dolphy. When Scotty came east to play with Goodman, he shared a cold-water flat in the East 70s with Freidman that went for $18 a month. Q: What happened to your brother after Ithaca College? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNqSL3xGW70, The Evans Trios appearance at the Village Vanguard opposite Lambert, Hendricks & Ross in June 1961 culminated with the legendary recordings made on the last day of the two-week engagement, Sunday, June 25. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faSD3g1ndHE, LaFaro began working regularly with Ornette after Evans became ill with hepatitis in July 1960 and went to Florida to recuperate at his parents home amid rumors that hed died. LaFaro started his professional career playing a German-made Mittenwald double bass but it was stolen in the Spring of 1958. Dave Green joins Alyn Shipton to pick the essential recordings of fellow bassist Scott LaFaro's brief but brilliant career, including work with Bill Evans. Scott was extremely picky and choosy, and he wanted to call the trio. Born . As was, really, LaFaro. The 25-year old Scott LaFaros death in a car accident shortly after was a major shock to the jazz world. The title track, a musical portrait of Evans' niece, became a staple of his live repertoire in later years. Grit is not a LaFaro staple, but that does not mean texture isnt. Performers: Ornette Coleman, as; Don Cherry, c; Scott Lafaro, b; Ed Blackwell, d. New York City, 31 Jan 1961. 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 at the Newport Jazz Festival. [citation needed], By late 1960, LaFaro was in demand as a bassist. My mom was still pregnant with my last sister. AllMusic Quiz. This was Scottys home, and he would practice bass facing the corner in the living room because he could better hear the sound quality. Bassist Scott LaFaro of Geneva had already achieved acclaim when he died in a car accident at the age of 25. His records with Bill Evans are among the finest jazz trio discs . Just about any jazz fan knows that on June 25, the 25-year-old had been in NYC as part of Bill Evans trio at the Village Vanguard, cutting the Sunday live date that will be reissued and repackaged so long as the earth continues to spin. My dad took Scotty to see anyone who came there, or to Syracuse or Rochester. A master of the upright bass, he recorded with Bill Evans and Ornette Coleman before he died in a car crash at age 25. He had an incredible ear. She proposed the demo as something to shop around to record labels; alas, nothing came of it. But LaFaro had a pronounced Dolphy streak too, in that both musicians were playmakers, facilitators, helping others to raise their games by playing theirs at the highest level. In his playing you can hear how happy Evans is to have this helmsman at the back of the boatI think it helped him see better at the front. Youll have to adjust your ears, but theyll fall into line quickly. One of the most substantial biographies Ive read in recent years is the 2009 publication that Helene LaFaro-Fernandez devoted to her brother Scott. Thats his brand of intimacy: the sensation of the stolen moment. In LaFaros short yet meteoric career, he accomplished more than most musicians do over decades. I remember one time Scotty came home with an LP under his arm. Chicago, 1956. The portion of Linden Street that runs from Seneca Street to South Exchange. 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. [7], In June 1961, the Bill Evans trio began two weeks of performances at the Village Vanguard in New York City. What happened to your brother after Ithaca College? The young bassist was friends to other artists and art during his all-too brief sojourn upon the mortal coil. All rights reserved. Waltz for Debby is a live album by jazz pianist and composer Bill Evans and his trio consisting of Evans, bassist Scott LaFaro, and drummer Paul Motian. Cool Modal Music Post-Bop. At the time it was such a revolutionary idea, and it ushered in a sea change for jazz. Killed in a car accident aged just 25, Scott LaFaro was widely regarded as the most technically gifted bassist of the 20th Century. LaFaro-Fernandez: Scotty and I were born in New Jersey but we moved back to Geneva in 1942. You may additional context in comments. Your IP: Upon returning to L.A., LaFaro phoned his friend Herb Geller, who was then playing alto with Benny Goodman in New York. In addition to hosting Jazz la Mode since 1984, Tom writes the jazz blog and produces the Jazz Beat podcast at NEPM. In 2007, 46 years later, Roy introduced Helene to the great bassist Christian McBride. Also, Club 86 was bringing in major stars as well. That left air and spaceand timewhich could do with some filling, some shaping. He told Helene that Scott lived for the bassHe was looking all the time to play. Scotty had the concept for a trio to be conversational instead of the classic structure, instead of bass and drummer just keeping time. ), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gzwXQGvXgc, LaFaro signed on with Stan Kenton for a tour in the spring of 1959. I quit very fast, but he was a natural. The Sampson Air Force Base was so big that it brought in big names like Duke Ellington. 1926). We had to have a strong rhythm section and he was definitely of that caliberHe was a dedicated personintolerant of anyone who wasnt giving his best., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ngs04EXtDwk. LaFaro died in an automobile accident in the summer of 1961 in Flint, New York on U.S. 20 between Geneva and Canandaigua, two days after accompanying Stan Getz at the Newport Jazz Festival. Born 1936 in Newark, N.J., La Faro studied clarinet and tenor sax as a boy, but in college switched to bass. 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. [My] early years at the university were thoroughly engaging intellectually but were also a time of deep introspection. He would have played twenty-four hours a day if he couldHe was learning a mile a minute., Morrows outfit had a big hit with Night Train. The bandleader told Helene, We were a band which was dedicated at the time to mainly rhythm and blues. Scott LaFaro. This album is widely considered to be one of the best in the Evans canon, and the type of emotive interplay between the musicians that at some points seemed almost deconstructed has served as a model for piano trio play. 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. we do worse! Q: Your family ended up following Scotty out to California. Geller said Goodman was unhappy with his current bassist, and offered to recommend Scotty but cautioned, Bennys very conservative, dont do any of those fast things you can do. LaFaro was killed in a car accident near his hometown of Geneva, N.Y., at age 25. Q: So if you were all living in California, how was it that your brother was near Geneva when he died? Chops: What Bassists Listen for in Drummers, The 10 Best Jazz Albums of the 1950s: Critics Picks, Year in Review: The Top 40 Jazz Albums of 2022, Year in Review: The Top 10 Historical Albums of 2022, Chops: What Bassists Listen for in Drummers. On date night, people would end up at The Smith. Musician. Tales are told of how much John Coltrane practiced, but you could say the same about the bassist from Newark. Sign in to continue reading, Sixty years after the bass greats untimely death, a look at his musical legacy beyond the Bill Evans Trio. They worked together with vocalist Dick Haymes, whose road show included dancers and a comic. He would practice for hours: he had all these Sonny Rollins solos he had written out in bass clef! LaFaro spent most of his days practicing his instrument. He also played in Stan Getz's band between jobs with the Bill Evans trio. On date night, people would end up at The Smith. LaFaro-Fernandez: Dad (Joe LaFaro) never forced us to play music. He says that word of the accident reached Getz over the wire through his manager Jack Whittemore, and that all were incredulous at the news. We were like brothers., Six months before the session with Kuhn, LaFaro recorded with trumpeter Booker Little on April 13 and 15. Today would be the 78th birthday of the great Scott LaFaro, who died in a car accident in 1961. Geller recalls that at the end of Scottys first night with the clarinetist, the two went around to hear Bill Evans. 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. 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. Everything. The 25-year old Scott LaFaro's death in a car accident shortly after was a major shock to the jazz world. The entire day's recordings were released in 2005 as The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961. Composer: Porter: After that touch of piano, he really started to enjoy music and develop a keen awareness of what it was all about. Styles. It is still so wild to me that he was so influential. Not long after he arrived on campus, he gave his clarinet away to a classmate. April 3, 1936 in Newark, NJ. This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 08:03. Other birthdays Monday: Jimmy McGriff, 64; Harold Vick, 19361987; and Eric Kloss, 51. Lets call it the chimerical voice of the rhythm sectionas well as what could often be the lead instrument when LaFaro was in your band. Helene says that she and Scotty were taken to hear Tony Bennett, the Mills Brothers, Dizzy Gillespie and numerous others. Q: What kind of influence did your father have on your brothers music? A driver was killed when a car crashed into a home in the Hancock Park . We never got to enjoy it as a concert venue in our day, unfortunately. Remembering Geneva's jazz legend Scott LaFaro: An interview with his sister Helene LaFaro-Fernandez - Smith Center for the Arts Smith Center for the Arts CONTACT US 82 Seneca Street Geneva, NY 14456 315-781-5483 BOX OFFICE Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES by appointment boxoffice@thesmith.org So even a low speed accident which would be survivable in today's cars, would be a mess in an older car. The BMW then struck a fourth car which was traveling south on Corbin Avenue. A post-bass bass player, maybe. 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. He began working in jazz radio in 1977 at WCUW, a community-licensed radio station in Worcester, Massachusetts. Everyone would say Dont go to the creek! but we did anyway, and would come home with red shoes. My mom was still pregnant with my last sister. Genre. Friedman relates inJade Visions,He used to play my piano, and was very interested in minor 7thchords with the flat 5th. The loss of LaFaro hit Evans hard, and he went into a brief seclusion. He recorded with pianist Don Friedman as well. Later in high school, kids would go to the movies with their friends, or boyfriends, or girlfriends. What a natural setting for a multi-ecosystem guy like LaFaro, the dream bassist for a project of this nature, which is jazz, classical, painterly, open yet demonstrative. LaFaro died in an automobile accident in the summer of 1961 in Flint, New York on U.S. 20 between Geneva and Canandaigua, two days after accompanying Stan Getz at the Newport Jazz Festival. . Composer: Urso Before that grim July night, LaFaro had been a busy bassist. Bassist Scott LaFaro would die in a car accident just ten days after this album's recording, at the age of 25. But he was best known for his collaborations and recordings with the Bill Evans Trio. 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. 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.
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