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. I quit very fast, but he was a natural. 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. Find him on the web at colinfleminglit.com (where he maintains the unique online journal, the Many Moments Moreblog) and on Twitter @colinfleminglit. Labels. When we were in junior high school, Godfrey Brown, the head of the high school music department, would come there to recruit for positions they needed to fill in the band and orchestra. That huge sound and strength of attack is finger-sprung alone. Gleason commented, It is, however, as a vehicle for bassist Scott LaFaro that the LP really impresses. Later in the year, he toured and recorded with the Cal Tjader-Stan Getz Sextet. Bill Evans. Cool Modal Music Post-Bop. 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. Showing all 2 results. we do worse! We spoke with LaFaro-Fernandez by phone to give us a glimpse on her brothers formative years in Geneva. So they were constantly trying for fresh approaches and fresh improvisationsAnd Bill told me, I remember it exactly, If I played the same lick on a tune two nights in a row, the next time I playe dit Scott would play it with me in harmonyhe would actually harmonize it so that at that point it was time for me to get rid of that lick and move on to something else.Is that what LaFaro was trying to bring to Getzs attention at the Blackhawk? I suppose technically, yes, though its also far more, and thats a LaFaro thing. The loss of LaFaro hit Evans hard, and he went into a brief seclusion. Performers: Hampton Hawes, p; Harold Land, ts; Scott Lafaro, b; Frank Butler, d. 14 Mar 1958. But its a moment were meant to be a part of, that both surrounds us and is for us. April 3, 1936 in Newark, NJ. 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. 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. Hentoff heard LaFaro as the most important new bassist since Paul Chambers and Wilbur Ware, and added, It may be necessary to add for those hearing LaFaro for the first time that his bass is not electronically amplified. Having followed him out to Los Angeles in the late 1950s along with the rest of the LaFaro family, LaFaro-Fernandez still lives in California and continues to answer daily inquiries about her brother, conduct interviews, and ensure his legacy will inform musicians and fans for generations to come. Performers: Thad Jones, tp; Herb Geller, as; Billy Taylor, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Elvin Jones, d. June 1959. Available Qualities. Hes just so damn elegant. 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. He heard what I was doing at the piano, and I heard what he was doing. Later in high school, kids would go to the movies with their friends, or boyfriends, or girlfriends. 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. 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. Many believe that Evans never fully recovered from the loss, as well as that it contributed to his pattern of heroin usage, an addiction that would later kill him. 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. He told Helene that Scott lived for the bassHe was looking all the time to play. 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. Q: What happened to your brother after Ithaca College? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. jazz bass Another link(Born: April 3, 1936 in Newark, NJ, Died: July 6, 1961 in Geneva, NY)During his tragically short life, Scott LaFaro quickly developed into one of the most advanced bassists around, competing with Charlie Haden and Charles Mingus. Later in high school, kids would go to the movies with their friends, or boyfriends, or girlfriends. 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. 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. 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. [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". The rest is told in his gripping visuals, The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist. It will be observed on his birthday anniversary, April 3. 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! Composer: Porter 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. Beginning in 1955, he was a member of the Buddy Morrow big band. Oscar Peterson Trio . The car, tree and garage all caught fire. 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.. The group attended the funeral in Geneva, which Kuhn adds was closed casket., LaFaro's death was devastating to Bill Evans. In addition to hosting Jazz la Mode since 1984, Tom writes the jazz blog and produces the Jazz Beat podcast at NEPM. For many, that Evans association, with drummer Paul Motian, is the LaFaro legacy. Scott Yanow, All-Music GuideScott LaFaros life and career were cut short in July of 1961. Member Of . 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. All is possible, and then all is no more. 2023 Smith Center for the Arts, All rights reserved. LaFaro continued to play this bass until his death. Gloria Gabriel was one of the dancers. Scotty was on the road at the time, in California. The 25-year-old Scott LaFaro's death in a car accident shortly after was a major shock to the jazz world. Providing entertainment, education, and the energizing force that pulls us all together in celebration of great work. He played a lot of top, cymbals, and Scotty wanted more drums, says Kuhn. We think of LaFaro as a jazz bassist with leanings toward classical music; its the lan, I think. I was 19 and working. He took up bass because he was required to play a stringed instrument at Ithaca College. The Scott La Faro book was wonderful. 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. 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. Composer: Hammerstein II / Kern ), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gzwXQGvXgc, LaFaro signed on with Stan Kenton for a tour in the spring of 1959. The bass was badly damaged in the automobile accident that killed him, but was eventually restored and is sporadically used in performance to honor LaFaro. Your IP: 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. She had lost her husband, then four years later lost her son, and she still had young kids to raise. Fraternal guidance, in that this endeavor allowed fellow band members to do what they best did. Our Dad was from here. Bassist Marc Johnson, who was with Evans between 1978 and his death in 1980, wrote in the liner notes forPieces of Jadethat the Vanguard performance was the highest measure of Scotts musical vision. InJade Visions, he says, I must have listened to those recordingsthousands of timesTo this day, I still dont see how Scott articulated his ideas with such startling clarity and velocity., Johnson also speaks for the continuing hold that the recordings have on listeners touched by their emotional richness. I adored him, and I was thrilled to be able to work with him. Also included is "Porgy", originally omitted for lack of space.[]" Q: What kind of influence did your father have on your brothers music? It was an idyllic childhood. Scotty also befriended the pianist-composer Victor Feldman, and recorded with him and drummer Stan Levey in January 1958. His records with Bill Evans are among the finest jazz trio discs . I return to the idea of the helmsman, because LaFaro always plays as if hes en route to some vital destination, and hes helping to take other musicians there, and, of course, those of us who are listening in. Born 1936 in Newark, N.J., La Faro studied clarinet and tenor sax as a boy, but in college switched to bass. 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. 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. What were Scotts childhood and teen years like here in Geneva? He was a tremendous talent [who] wanted to go on to greener pastures.Over the next two years, Scotty toured the country with Chet Baker, and worked around L.A. with Hampton Hawes, Harold Land, Buddy DeFranco, Richie Kamuca, Joe Gordon, and Stan Kenton. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. 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. ~ Scott Yanow. The Jazz la Mode Blog has plenty to stimulate your interest and curiosity in American music. He had an incredible ear. All rights reserved. At that years Monterey Jazz Festival, LaFaro performed with both the Coleman Quartet and Gunther Schuller. Evans stopped performing for several months. 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. Performers: Pat Moran, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Gene Gammage, d. 1958. California had affordable education, and we could all go to college. You can read our interview with Holland here. The BMW then struck a fourth car which was traveling south on Corbin Avenue. 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. 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. By City News Service. He died near Geneva in an auto accident in 1961. I never knew how Scotty felt about my playing until Paul told me later that the first time Paul heard me it was because Scotty had dragged him out in a snowstorm, "You've got to hear this great bass player with Ornette!"[18]. Nearly six decades later, Helene LaFaro-Fernandez continues to keep her older brothers flame alive. [7], In June 1961, the Bill Evans trio began two weeks of performances at the Village Vanguard in New York City. Then wed go home and have dinner and ice cream. Composer: Mercer / Kosma / Prevert He stuck with his new hire, offered Scotty the option of plane fare to New York or L.A., and showed him the door. Haynes shared with Scotty a fastidiousness about clothing, and hed just been named toEsquiresBest-Dressed list. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. Bassist Scott LaFaro of Geneva had already achieved acclaim when he died in a car accident at the age of 25. Other times, its distilled into a moment that seems to transcend itself, and thus it went for Paul Gonsalves, hero of a Newport afternoon. [citation needed], By late 1960, LaFaro was in demand as a bassist. According to Paul Motian, the death of LaFaro left Bill Evans "numb with grief", "in a state of shock", and "like a ghost". He said, Man, youve gotta hear this. 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. Paul Motian was on drums, Nobby Totah on bass. comments . Fellow bassist Red Mitchell taught him how to pluck strings with both the index and middle fingers independently. Shortly after, he acquired a bass made in 1825 in Concord, New Hampshire by Abraham Prescott. Styles. In his liner notes, producer Orrin Keepnews focused on the phenomenon of Bill Evans thepianist, but the lone paragraph devoted to the other members of the trio noted that they werent limited toconventional rhythmic backing, and cited Autumn Leaves, as a harbinger of things to come. Youll have to adjust your ears, but theyll fall into line quickly. His most recent books are an entry in the 33 1/3series on Sam CookesLive at the Harlem Square Club, 1963, a volume about the 1951 film Scrooge as the ultimate work of cinematic terror, and the story collection, If You [ ]: Fabula, Fantasy, F**kery, Hope. They best did adds was closed casket., LaFaro 's death was devastating Bill. In Newark, N.J., la Faro studied clarinet and tenor sax a! And tenor sax as a bassist with Bill Evans were a band which was traveling south on Avenue! 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