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On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Killed in a car accident aged just 25, Scott LaFaro was widely regarded as the most technically gifted bassist of the 20th Century. Read about our approach to external linking. Motian operated the same way; if anything, he was even more of a painter than the leader. Not long after he arrived on campus, he gave his clarinet away to a classmate. 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. 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. The loss of LaFaro hit Evans hard, and he went into a brief seclusion. While driving home late one night his car went off the road and struck a tree. Published since 1970, JazzTimesAmericas Jazz Magazineprovides comprehensive and in-depth coverage of the jazz scene. Security video shows a crash in the Reseda neighborhood of Los Angeles which left a driver dead. LaFaro-Fernandez: Scotty and I were born in New Jersey but we moved back to Geneva in 1942. ), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gzwXQGvXgc, LaFaro signed on with Stan Kenton for a tour in the spring of 1959. At age 12 he was recommended for the Ithaca Conservatory of Music, where he was classically trained in violin. Pianist Pat Moran, who led a trio that Scott toured and recorded with in 1958, says he was was very aware of his genius and used to love to go into clubs and intimidate bass playersHe was quite a character, lots of fun. Moran is little known today as Patti Moran McCoy, butin 1960 LaFaro was quoted ina profile written by Martin Williams forJazz Review, I dont even like any of my records except maybe the first one I did with Pat Moran., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HAbUcKTdcI. When Evans returned to the trio format later in 1962, it was with Motian and bassist Chuck Israels.[2]. My mom was still pregnant with my last sister. Composer: Gillespie Paul Motian was on drums, Nobby Totah on bass. 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. 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. 1926). Become a member and get exclusive access to articles, live sessions and more! See all our current specials here. 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. On date night, people would end up at The Smith. Performers: Bill Evans, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Paul Motian, d. 28 Dec 1958. The entire day's recordings were released in 2005 as The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961. 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. A driver was killed when a car crashed into a home in the Hancock Park . 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. Today would be the 78th birthday of the great Scott LaFaro, who died in a car accident in 1961. . Before that grim July night, LaFaro had been a busy bassist. Your family ended up following Scotty out to California. Friedman relates inJade Visions,He used to play my piano, and was very interested in minor 7thchords with the flat 5th. His records with Bill Evans are among the finest jazz trio discs ever made. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Kuhn remembers hearing that it was a St. Christopher medal that LaFaro always wore that helped to identify his badly burned body. [3] He took up double bass at 18 before entering college because learning a string instrument was required of music education majors. "[12], In 1988, Insights label of RVC Corporation in Japan released Memories for Scotty. 52.119.1.55 Performers: Pat Moran, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Gene Gammage, d. 1958. 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." 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. 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. 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. Hes just so damn elegant. Q: What happened to your brother after Ithaca College? He's seen here playing "Cherry" and "Chart of My Heart" with saxophonist Richie Kamuca's Quintet on a Stars of Jazz television broadcast on April 7, 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. Jan. 30, 2021 1:47 PM PT. Fellow bassist Red Mitchell taught him how to pluck strings with both the index and middle fingers independently. In 2007, 46 years later, Roy introduced Helene to the great bassist Christian McBride. With my mom and Scotty and my two sisters and then our own kids, we eventually had to build onto the house. 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. Shortly after, their collaboration began. 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. 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. The trio attracted attention for its style. Scott LaFaro at Newport July 2, 1961 - Killed in a Car Wreck 4 days later. You can read our interview with Holland. 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. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a154b16ff047cd4 Ornette Coleman was another musician who appeared on the Jazz Abstractions datebut as with Dolphy and Evans, on just half the recordand I often imagine the conversations he might have had with LaFaro during breaks and between takes about what Coleman had in mind for the next day. . Nearly six decades later, Helene LaFaro-Fernandez continues to keep her older brothers flame alive. He worked from sheet music for the clarinet, with its much higher pitch, to improve his command of the bass upper register. Chicago, 1956. 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.[] Musician. Cool Modal Music Post-Bop. 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 . Gloria Gabriel was one of the dancers. That is what so many families Sunday ritual were like. In addition to hosting Jazz la Mode since 1984, Tom writes the jazz blog and produces the Jazz Beat podcast at NEPM. Brockton-born alto player and clarinetist Dick Johnson was also on the band. During World War II the club scene changed and he came back to Geneva where he could find work. The music of Jazz Abstractions proceeds as a series of shadings, which tend to be called variants on the finished LP. 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. Performers: Stan Getz, ts; Steve Kuhn, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Roy Haynes d. Newport, 2 July 1961. [1] He played in groups at the College Spa and Joe's Restaurant[4] on State Street in downtown Ithaca. More on his story here. 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. 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. Its the top of the sheet, instead of the coarseness of the winter blanket. Friedman first heard LaFaro with Buddy Morrow, and then they worked together with Chet Baker. Performers: Ornette Coleman, as; Don Cherry, c; Scott Lafaro, b; Ed Blackwell, d. New York City, 31 Jan 1961. April 3, 1936 in Newark, NJ. Also, the exertion of a formidable musical will to take what was there, in an act of guidance. Nov 13, 2008 #2 Mark Carlsen Oct 4, 2004 May 23, 2021. Though hed previously appeared onGolden Trombonewith Buddy Morrow,The Arrival of Victor Feldmanwas essentially the first LP that showcased his singular gifts. By. But LaFaro makes the music pulsehe provides its heartbeat and flow. There is also a street off of Seneca Street, just across from the Smith Opera House, that has been renamed Scott LaFaro Way. 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 . AllMusic Quiz. 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. Scott Yanow, All-Music Guide Scott LaFaro's life and career were cut short in July of 1961. 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. Q: So if you were all living in California, how was it that your brother was near Geneva when he died? I suppose technically, yes, though its also far more, and thats a LaFaro thing. "Route 66" songwriter Bobby Troup was the show's host. Shortly after, he acquired a bass made in 1825 in Concord, New Hampshire by Abraham Prescott. Already a member? When did your brother start getting interested in music? He started playing piano in elementary school, bass clarinet in middle school, and tenor saxophone when he entered high school. LaFaro-Fernandez: When Scotty was in sixth grade we took our first piano lessons. It is well remembered as the final performance by the Evans trio of the time, which included bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. Youll have to adjust your ears, but theyll fall into line quickly. I get 10 to 12 emails a day asking about Scotty. LaFaro-Fernandez: My father passed away (from a heart attack) in 1957. Composer: Rosolino 1998 Kevin Crosby. In the mid 1950s, at the Los Angeles music scene, he became known as one of. One may even ask the question whether it is possible to love jazz and not love Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby, and I dont think youre being a curmudgeon if you stamp a foot and issue an emphatic No, by Jove!. Tracks. We think of LaFaro as a jazz bassist with leanings toward classical music; its the lan, I think. 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? Our Dad was from here. 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. Composer: Mercer / Kosma / Prevert You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. To top it off, the old cars didn't have self-sealing gas tanks and as in the case of LaFaro's accident, if they ruptured, frequently resulted in fire. 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. 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. 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. That is what so many families Sunday ritual were like. 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. 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. Then wed go home and have dinner and ice cream. The rest is told in his gripping visuals, The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist. I quit very fast, but he was a natural. 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. 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. Mom needed the money. Little, another ill-fated star of the period who died at 23 in October 1961, described LaFaro in the liner notes as distant, but closea paradox that resolves only for those who were simpatico. He also recognized Scottys distinctiveness as an innovator who was much more of a conversationalist behind you than any other bassist I know[Hes] technicallyabout the greatest bassist we have. Remarking on the solo LaFaro plays on Bee Tees Minor Plea, the trumpeter said, The bass is a crude and rude instrument, but Scott makes it into something else. Helene says Scotty would have loved being described as something else, since I could remember how excited [he] was when he brought around to play for me the first record of Ornettes he owned,Something Else.. And youre out, Death letyou out, Death had the Mercy, youre done with your century, done with God, done with the path thru itAllen Ginsberg (b. Scott LaFaro - Artist Details. In spring 1960, he featured on a half-dozen tracks that trumpeter Booker Little cut for his second session as leader. After three months at Ithaca College, he concentrated on bass. Composer: Hawes There was great rapport. On March 5, 2014, the Geneva (New York) City Council approved making April 3 Scott LaFaro Day. This article is about the 1961 Village Vanguard recordings. The 25-year-old Scott LaFaro's death in a car accident shortly after was a major shock to the jazz world. Performers: Bill Evans, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Paul Motian, d. 7 May 1960. 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. The album included five tracks recorded in New York City during 1961 with pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca.[13]. 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. Search Music. 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 was his own thing. Tracks such as "Solar" (RealAudio excerpt), from the Village Vanguard sessions, highlight his ability to play high notes with surprising speed. 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. [My] early years at the university were thoroughly engaging intellectually but were also a time of deep introspection. 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