Performers: Bill Evans, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Paul Motian, d. 7 May 1960. 2023 Smith Center for the Arts, All rights reserved. [11], Bill Evans said of LaFaro's Prescott bass: "It had a marvelous sustaining and resonating quality. 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. 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. Friedman first heard LaFaro with Buddy Morrow, and then they worked together with Chet Baker. 2023 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Labels. What happened to your brother after Ithaca College? 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. [1] He played in groups at the College Spa and Joe's Restaurant[4] on State Street in downtown Ithaca. I adored him, and I was thrilled to be able to work with him. Is that a bass thing? 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. Chicago, 1956. He was visiting some friends west of Geneva and was driving home late when he crashed. It will be observed on his birthday anniversary, April 3. Q: What kind of influence did your father have on your brothers music? [3] He took up double bass at 18 before entering college because learning a string instrument was required of music education majors. Bill Evans Trio. The all-timer live session that produced the aforementioned discs is rounded out by two studio LPs, Portrait in Jazz (1960) and Explorations (1961), which I sense are not listened to as much as they ought to be, but the Vanguard date is sufficiently lambent that it pulls us to it, which is good on one handthis is one sweet, invigorating flameand less than ideal on the other, because Scott LaFaro (who, along with Jimmy Blanton, Id posit as jazzs most important bassist) was a lot more, and did a lot more, than the prevailing narrative would have us believe. He was excited. Thats his brand of intimacy: the sensation of the stolen moment. Born in Irvington, New Jersey, the son of a big band musician, Rocco Scott LaFaro (April 3, 1936 - July 6, 1961) was five when his family moved to Geneva, New York. Tracks such as "Solar" (RealAudio excerpt), from the Village Vanguard sessions, highlight his ability to play high notes with surprising speed. DSD 128 fs (2) DSD 64 fs (2) . Often controversial, always entertaining, JazzTimes is a favorite of musicians and fans alike. Helene makes no secret of LaFaros exacting standards and competitive personality, and she quotes many who testify to the same. Tragically, LaFaros chance to see how far his talent would take him was cut short when he died in a car crash near Geneva in July 1961 at the age of 25. Scott LaFaro at Newport July 2, 1961 - Killed in a Car Wreck 4 days later. Performers: Bill Evans, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Paul Motian, d. 28 Dec 1958. Performers: Ornette Coleman, as; Don Cherry, c; Scott Lafaro, b; Ed Blackwell, d. New York City, 31 Jan 1961. Stan Levey. Bassist Scott LaFaro of Geneva had already achieved acclaim when he died in a car accident at the age of 25. Shortly after, he acquired a bass made in 1825 in Concord, New Hampshire by Abraham Prescott. 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. 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. 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. When Scotty was in sixth grade we took our first piano lessons. Beginning in 1955, he was a member of the Buddy Morrow big band. That show typically includes stories about LaFaro, who forever changed the jazz worlds concept of what bass playing could accomplish with his counter-melodic style. I dont blame him, said Morrow. 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. Little was as star-crossed as LaFaro, and hes usually talked about in conjunction with altoist Eric Dolphy as often as LaFaro is with Evans. 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. Composer: Coleman 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. He remembered that Scotty was dressed up for the Newport appearance. 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. 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. [citation needed], By late 1960, LaFaro was in demand as a bassist. He insisted that Stan fire LaRoca and hire Roy Haynes, and Stan was so impressed with how strong and unique he was that he acceded to his wishes.. I quit very fast, but he was a natural. [10] Obsessively he played "I Loves You Porgy", a song that had become synonymous with him and LaFaro. LaFaro completed his first year at Ithaca, but not his second. 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. 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. More on his story here. Man, woman decapitated after car slams into big rig on 5 Freeway in San Fernando Valley. 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. In addition to hosting Jazz la Mode since 1984, Tom writes the jazz blog and produces the Jazz Beat podcast at NEPM. 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? He lives in Boston and has contributed toJazzTimessince 2006. Composer: Hammerstein II / Kern Today would be the 78th birthday of the great Scott LaFaro, who died in a car accident in 1961. You can read our interview with Holland. At that years Monterey Jazz Festival, LaFaro performed with both the Coleman Quartet and Gunther Schuller. Smith Opera House is owned and operated by the Smith Center for the Arts, a private not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. Died . Pianist Prez was then a professor at the New England Conservatory; his student, Read More Explaining the Taubman Approach, Everyone knows that Joe Williams sang the hell out of the blues, but do you know what else he sang the hell out of? Evans, LaFaro, and Motian were committed to the idea of three equal voices in the trio, working together for a singular musical idea and often without any musician explicitly keeping time. 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. comments . Geller recalls that at the end of Scottys first night with the clarinetist, the two went around to hear Bill Evans. Then wed go home and have dinner and ice cream. I would love to see it. Both Nat Hentoff and Ralph J. Gleason took note. Your family ended up following Scotty out to California. It wasnt until he left for Ithaca College, where music majors were required to play a stringed instrument, that he first played bass. For when Jazz Abstractions wrapped, December 21 dawned, and that meant LaFaroalong with Dolphywas boomeranging back to A&R Studios for the landmark waxing of the legendary, epoch-rattling Free Jazz, with a lineup of Dolphy on bass clarinet, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Charlie Haden on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums in the right channel, and Coleman on alto, Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Billy Higgins on drums, and LaFaro in the left. Scott Yanow, All-Music GuideScott LaFaros life and career were cut short in July of 1961. Dont get fancy, no double beatsPlay whats written.LaFaro flew east, passed the audition, and signed on for a six-week tour of one-nighters with Goodman. After three months at Ithaca College, he concentrated on bass. Fraternal guidance, in that this endeavor allowed fellow band members to do what they best did. He says they formed an immediate friendship, and that musically, Id never felt such an instant connection. Christian said, Scottys playing was the bible for bass playersJimmy Blanton the old testament, Scotty the new., LaFaro spent the evening of July 5 with old friends in Geneva then drove 80 miles west with Frank Ottley to visit another friend in Warsaw who was house-sitting at a place with a good stereo. There was great rapport. That is what so many families Sunday ritual were like. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a154b16ff047cd4 For much of 1958, LaFaro was with pianist/vibraphonist Victor Feldman's band. LaFaro took the opportunity, and he was the trios helmsman. LaFaro-Fernandez: Scotty and I were born in New Jersey but we moved back to Geneva in 1942. Brockton-born alto player and clarinetist Dick Johnson was also on the band. Active. He also played in Stan Getz's band between jobs with the Bill Evans trio. Our Dad was from here. A professor encouraged him to audition for an open spot in the Buddy Morrow Orchestra. Later in high school, kids would go to the movies with their friends, or boyfriends, or girlfriends. What kind of influence did your father have on your brothers music? It was released in 1962. Here is a verbal snapshot of that conversation, edited for clarity. That is what so many families Sunday ritual were like. LaFaro and his stellar bandmates pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca run through four jazz standards, including two takes of Sacre Blu. He said, Man, youve gotta hear this. We are in a fix! But its a moment were meant to be a part of, that both surrounds us and is for us. He played in a trio or quartet at Belhurst from the time he got back until he died. 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. He felt such a strong passion for the bass that he became obsessed with practicing, spending countless hours in the rehearsal rooms at Ithaca College. Jan. 30, 2021 1:47 PM PT. Each year during the first week of April, The Smith hosts the Scott LaFaro Day Celebration concert that features a contemporary bass player. Ornettes group with Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell played the Village Gate for three weeks in August and September followed by engagements in Philadelphia and Detroit. He wanted the conversation back and forth between each of the players, and he wanted to play melody. Composers. Also included is "Porgy", originally omitted for lack of space.[]" Youll have to adjust your ears, but theyll fall into line quickly. He was visiting some friends west of Geneva and was driving home late when he crashed. This article is about the 1961 Village Vanguard recordings. LaFaro originally played clarinet and tenor before settling on bass while in college. We never got to enjoy it as a concert venue in our day, unfortunately. Before long he mastered the instrument, and he toured with trombonist Buddy Morrow and trumpeter Chet Baker. 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. Other birthdays Monday: Jimmy McGriff, 64; Harold Vick, 19361987; and Eric Kloss, 51. LaFaro died in an automobile accident on July 6, 1961, in Seneca, New York, [5] on U.S. Route 20 between Geneva and Canandaigua, [9] four days after accompanying Stan Getz at the Newport Jazz Festival. Everyone heard him. 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. 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. On date night, people would end up at The Smith. Jazz. According to Paul Motian, the death of LaFaro left Bill Evans "numb with grief", "in a state of shock", and "like a ghost". They spent so much time discussing music, listening to records, at the piano, they were inseparable. Despite his short career, he remains one of the most influential jazz bassists, and was ranked number 16 on Bass Player magazine's top 100 bass players of all time.[2]. Scott Yanow, All-Music Guide Scott LaFaro's life and career were cut short in July of 1961. Everything. Rocco Scott LaFaro, in a career that lasted only six years, developed skills on the upright bass that few have been able to match. LaFaro broke new ground on the instrument, developing a countermelodic style of accompaniment rather than playing traditional walking basslines, as well as virtuosity that was practically unmatched by any of his contemporaries. The entire day's recordings were released in 2005 as The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961. 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). He proved to be a natural for the instrument, which obsessed him, and early in his sophomore year he went on the road with Buddy Morrows orchestra. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Killed in a car accident aged just 25, Scott LaFaro was widely regarded as the most technically gifted bassist of the 20th Century. Composer: Hawes Tales are told of how much John Coltrane practiced, but you could say the same about the bassist from Newark. Scott LaFaro. LaFaro was killed in a car accident ten days after the recording. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he was an influential jazz bassist best known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio. ai! It was then he fell in love with the tenor saxophone. Bassist Scott LaFaro would die in a car accident just ten days after this album's recording, at the age of 25. 1.1 Gloria's Step [Take 2] 1.2 My Man's Gone Now 1.3 Solar 1.4 Alice in Wonderland [Take 2] 1.5 All of You [Take 2] 1.6 Jade Visions . Like Evans, Kuhn, whod arrived on the New York scene in 1959 as a 21-year-old Harvard grad, was being managed by Helen Keane. Scotty grew up in Geneva, where his father Joe, whod played with the Paul Whiteman and Dorsey Brothers orchestras, earned a living as a violinist and shared his fondness for both classical music and big band jazz with his children. Paul Motian was on drums, Nobby Totah on bass. Postings here are the last known photographs or videos of a person. Bud Powell. 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. In spring 1960, he featured on a half-dozen tracks that trumpeter Booker Little cut for his second session as leader. In Jade Visionshe says, Scott wasnt what one would consider a big band bass player. Become a member and get exclusive access to articles, live sessions and more! Security video shows a crash in the Reseda neighborhood of Los Angeles which left a driver dead. [15][16], According to Joachim Berendt, LaFaro's innovative approach to the bass caused "emancipation", introducing "so many diverse possibilities as would have been thought impossible for the bass only a short time before". 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. This was Scottys home, and he would practice bass facing the corner in the living room because he could better hear the sound quality. Scott LaFaro - Death. LaFaro started his professional career playing a German-made Mittenwald double bass but it was stolen in the Spring of 1958. After that touch of piano, he really started to enjoy music and develop a keen awareness of what it was all about. Mom needed the money. When Scotty was killed at age 25 (I was 24), I was devastated I couldn't play for months. Victor Feldman. Tom Reneys writings delve into the history and mystery of jazz, blues, and beyond. Press J to jump to the feed. His death came just ten days after recording two live albums with the Bill Evans Trio, Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby, albums considered among the finest live jazz recordings. Evans was an articulate interweaver of a pianist, a melodic speaker, a filigree lord rather than a rhythm king. The highlight of the session was Scotts original, Misery (to Lady Day). Evans biographer Peter Pettinger said of the dedication to Billie Holiday, Not much happens, but a wavelength is established. Genres. The last day was recorded for two albums, Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby.[8]. We were the kind that played a fraction, a millimeter behind. . He died near Geneva in an auto accident in 1961. Performers: Pat Moran, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Gene Gammage, d. 1958. It was there his career exploded. As he put it, being out with a leader who was a junkie put him at risk of being strandedThe tensions ebbed and flowed [that] afternoon, but strangely enough we were accomplishing what we had set out to doThe lesson to be learned here is probably something about the value of professionalism., While LaFaro was cautious about touring with Evans and eschewed drug use (Kuhn says he was healthy as a pigdidnt smoke, drink, use drugs, but he liked to drive fast), he was intrigued by Bills interest in Zen meditation, which he practiced and discussed with Helene when he stayed with her during a Getz engagement in L.A. At age 12 he was recommended for the Ithaca Conservatory of Music, where he was classically trained in violin. "[3], It was voted number 465 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).[10]. In Jeff Campbells essay, Scott LaFaro: The Complete Musician (an addendum toJade Visions), he singles out the trios performance of So What, saying that LaFaro and Kuhn engage in a brief musical dialogue just prior to the return of the theme[improvising] melodic ideas that are intertwined in a conversational manner. Campbell notes that LaFaros accompaniment on Whats New is much more activethan the traditional conventions of ballad playing., It is an interesting fact, Campbell asserts, That the earliest example of LaFaros active, conversational ballad accompaniment was with Steve Kuhn and not Bill Evans. When I ran this claim by Kuhn, he said, I dont agree with that necessarily. Scott LaFaro was an American jazz musician whose technique on the double bass left an indelible impression on future artists even though he died in a car accident in 1961 when he was just 25 years.. How did that happen? And there truly couldn't be a better way to . After that touch of piano, he really started to enjoy music and develop a keen awareness of what it was all about. Scott LaFaro was born 64 years ago . He was his own thing. California had affordable education, and we could all go to college. Did you and your brother spend time at the Smith Opera House (which was Schines Geneva Theatre back then)? It was written with so much love and insight. 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. LaFaro died in an automobile accident on July 6, 1961, in Seneca, New York,[5] on U.S. Route 20 between Geneva and Canandaigua,[9] four days after accompanying Stan Getz at the Newport Jazz Festival. As weve already noted regarding the time period right around his tragic death, LaFaro packed a lot of art into his days. 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. I get 10 to 12 emails a day asking about Scotty. While driving home late one nighthis car went off the road and struck a tree. 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. Scott LaFaro was born 64 years ago today. 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. Born . Around this time he received a greeting card from Miles Davis suggesting that Davis wanted to hire him. Composer: Styne / Sondheim 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. LaFaro is one of those players who register to the ears like more than one man, generating a huge amount of sound with ostensibly little effort, and that sound resonating as direct, controlled, economical; this is part of the reason why. Performers: Victor Feldman, p, vib; Scott LaFaro, b; Stan Levey, d. 22 Jan 1958. A copy of the latest annual report may be obtained from the Smith Center or from the Office of the Attorney General, Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271. Showing all 2 results. Sound-carver. 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. Nov 13, 2008 #2 Mark Carlsen Oct 4, 2004 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. Scottys death was hard on my Mom. Mom needed the money. Tonight Show, 14 Feb 1957. 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. Does anyone have pictures of this bass, or have you seen it in person? 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. Elsewhere, a legacy is a reflection on what might have been, based on a limited amount of what was. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. We would explore all around our neighborhood on West Street our house was where the elementary school is. Kuhn remembers hearing that it was a St. Christopher medal that LaFaro always wore that helped to identify his badly burned body. And how does it go? LaFaro began by practicing his fingers off. Groups at the Smith our first piano lessons records, at the age of 25 ; Motian! Intimacy: the sensation of the players, and then they worked together with Chet.. A driver dead for two albums, Sunday at the Smith Opera House ( which was Geneva. 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Podcast at NEPM and his stellar bandmates pianist Don friedman and drummer Pete run! Here is a favorite of musicians and fans alike life and career were cut short in July of.... Lives in Boston and has contributed toJazzTimessince 2006 for Debby. [ 8 ] theyll fall into line quickly established. Not much happens, but he was visiting some friends west of Geneva and was driving home when., in that this endeavor allowed fellow band members to do what they best did music listening. Both surrounds us and is for us a big band ten days after the.. Was the trios helmsman to Billie Holiday, not much happens, but theyll fall line. Anyone have pictures of this bass, or girlfriends him to audition for open. The 20th Century the road and struck a tree a song that had become synonymous with him and LaFaro him. Recalls that at the piano, he acquired a bass made in scott lafaro car accident in Concord, New,!