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. The loss of LaFaro hit Evans hard, and he went into a brief seclusion. It is well remembered as the final performance by the Evans trio of the time, which included bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. We think of LaFaro as a jazz bassist with leanings toward classical music; its the lan, I think. After three months at Ithaca College, he concentrated on bass. Scotty and I were born in New Jersey but we moved back to Geneva in 1942. When Scotty was killed at age 25 (I was 24), I was devastated I couldn't play for months. Friedman first heard LaFaro with Buddy Morrow, and then they worked together with Chet Baker. 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 took up bass because he was required to play a stringed instrument at Ithaca College. Victor Feldman. In spring 1960, he featured on a half-dozen tracks that trumpeter Booker Little cut for his second session as leader. "[3], It was voted number 465 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).[10]. The texture, however, is the back of the handthats the form of caress, rather than the rough-skinned palm. An investigation is underway after two people were killed in a crash involving a big rig along the . Former Major League Baseball pitcher Scott Erickson has been charged in connection with a hit-and-run crash in Westlake Village that killed two . Performers: Bill Evans, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Paul Motian, d. 7 May 1960. 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. [1] With Evans and drummer Paul Motian he developed the counter-melodic style that would come to characterize his playing. Active. In Jade Visionshe says, Scott wasnt what one would consider a big band bass player. All is possible, and then all is no more. A master of the upright bass, he recorded with Bill Evans and Ornette Coleman before he died in a car crash at age 25. 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. LaFaro and his stellar bandmates pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca run through four jazz standards, including two takes of Sacre Blu. 2023 Smith Center for the Arts, All rights reserved. Scotty sort of led the way on the bass becoming a solo instrument in its own right. Pictures of people only please! More on his story here. 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. He was in his second year at college to study music when he joined Buddy Morrow's band and went on a cross country tour. 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. . A post-bass bass player, maybe. Born in Newark, New Jersey, United States,[1] the son of a big band musician, LaFaro was five when his family moved to Geneva, New York. Performers: Chet Baker, tp; Phil Urso, ts; Francy Boland, p; Larance Marable, d; Scott LaFaro, b. 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. Gloria Gabriel was one of the dancers. 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. Places to dine, drink, stay near the Smith Opera House, A word of caution about buying tickets on the secondary ticket market. LaFaro continued to play this bass until his death. Q: What were Scotts childhood and teen years like here in Geneva? 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. We were the kind that played a fraction, a millimeter behind. RE: Person I Knew is a tribute to bass legend Scott LaFaro, who died tragically in a car accident 50 years ago this year at the age of 25.Phil Palombi plays the EXACT bass that made Scotty a legend on the Bill Evans Trio, Live at the Village Vanguard Sessions!. Scott Yanow, All-Music GuideScott LaFaros life and career were cut short in July of 1961. LaFaro achieved fame in the Bill Evans Trio, which he joined in 1959 and which featured Paul Motian on drums. John Tynan wrote inDownbeatthat the rhythm duo [LaFaro and Billy Higgins] were the baddest cats on the date. 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. But we LaFaros have staying quality, and my husband and I just celebrated our 60th year in this house. 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. Bassist Scott LaFaro of Geneva had already achieved acclaim when he died in a car accident at the age of 25. All that listening to the trio had another effect on me. Performers: Buddy Morrow, tb; Walt Stewart, tp; Dick Johnson, as; Scott LaFaro, b; plus unidentified other musicians. Died . I remember one time Scotty came home with an LP under his arm. Your family ended up following Scotty out to California. Your IP: 2023 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Tom Reneys writings delve into the history and mystery of jazz, blues, and beyond. 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. Following the Vanguard engagement, LaFaro played with Getz, Steve Kuhn, and Roy Haynes at Newport on July 2. Bassist Scott LaFaro of Geneva had already achieved acclaim when he died in a car accident at the age of 25. Each year during the first week of April, The Smith hosts the Scott LaFaro Day Celebration concert that features a contemporary bass player. Read about our approach to external linking. The 25-year-old Scott LaFaro's death in a car accident shortly after was a major shock to the jazz world. 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. 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. The young bassist was friends to other artists and art during his all-too brief sojourn upon the mortal coil. My mom was still pregnant with my last sister. Composer: Mercer / Kosma / Prevert Scott LaFaro was born 64 years ago today. Scotty was on the road at the time, in California. All rights reserved. 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. AMAGANSETT, N.Y. - Acclaimed tenor saxophonist Robert Berg was killed Thursday when a cement truck skidded across a snow-slicked road and rammed into his sport utility vehicle, East Hampton police said. The BMW then struck a fourth car which was traveling south on Corbin Avenue. Man, woman decapitated after car slams into big rig on 5 Freeway in San Fernando Valley. We spoke with LaFaro-Fernandez by phone to give us a glimpse on her brothers formative years in Geneva. The group attended the funeral in Geneva, which Kuhn adds was closed casket., LaFaro's death was devastating to Bill Evans. A Dead Musician Directory Celebrity Page. 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. Such is the legacy of bassist Scott LaFaro, though I would suggest that what was was more than we often think. In 2009 she published a biography about him, Jade Visions: The Life and Music of Scott LaFaro. Q: When did your brother start getting interested in music? Our Dad was from here. 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. 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. How did that happen? Elsewhere, a legacy is a reflection on what might have been, based on a limited amount of what was. Scott Yanow, All-Music Guide Scott LaFaro's life and career were cut short in July of 1961. Well, Michael Cera did play a bassist in Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World. Bassist Scott LaFaro would die in a car accident just ten days after this album's recording, at the age of 25. For Evans, Misery offered a glimpse of a relationship to come., Two months later, on December 28, 1959, the Bill Evans Trio made its premiere recording for Riverside,Portrait in Jazz. What happened to your brother after Ithaca College? Showing all 2 results. 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. We also spent time at the First Presbyterian Church choir. 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. Both Nat Hentoff and Ralph J. Gleason took note. "Route 66" songwriter Bobby Troup was the show's host. Performers: Pat Moran, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Gene Gammage, d. 1958. 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 . Published since 1970, JazzTimesAmericas Jazz Magazineprovides comprehensive and in-depth coverage of the jazz scene. 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 left Morrow and settled in Los Angeles in 1957. He was visiting some friends west of Geneva and was driving home late when he crashed. 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. 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. Jim Hall. Such is the legacy of bassist Scott LaFaro, though I would suggest that what was was more than we often think. It is still so wild to me that he was so influential. Evans and Dolphy dont feature on a couple tunes, while LaFaro is the constant. Then wed go home and have dinner and ice cream. 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. Did you and your brother spend time at the Smith Opera House (which was Schines Geneva Theatre back then)? In 2007, 46 years later, Roy introduced Helene to the great bassist Christian McBride. May 23, 2021. 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. What were Scotts childhood and teen years like here in Geneva? Is that a jazz thing? 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. Often controversial, always entertaining, JazzTimes is a favorite of musicians and fans alike. Scottys death was hard on my Mom. 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. LaFaro completed his first year at Ithaca, but not his second. Composer: Rosolino He remembered that Scotty was dressed up for the Newport appearance. Nearly six decades later, Helene LaFaro-Fernandez continues to keep her older brothers flame alive. "[12], In 1988, Insights label of RVC Corporation in Japan released Memories for Scotty. He was playing mandolin and violin publicly by age 7. 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. Geller recalls that at the end of Scottys first night with the clarinetist, the two went around to hear Bill Evans. Later in high school, kids would go to the movies with their friends, or boyfriends, or girlfriends. Q: Your family ended up following Scotty out to California. 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. Evanss illness resulted in the cancellation of a long engagement opposite Thelonious Monk at the Jazz Gallery. The album included five tracks recorded in New York City during 1961 with pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca.[13]. He told Helene that Scott lived for the bassHe was looking all the time to play. He emphasized high notes, could play with great speed and his interplay with Bill Evans in their trio was mutually stimulating and influential. A record like this could easily have become just a mood disc: sound as fuzzy, woolly painting, in which the experiment becomes an end unto itself, the gesture, the gambit, being everything. A jazz musicians legacy can be a multifarious slope. Grit is not a LaFaro staple, but that does not mean texture isnt. 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. You can read our interview with Holland. 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]. 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? On March 5, 2014, the Geneva (New York) City Council approved making April 3 Scott LaFaro Day. A professor encouraged him to audition for an open spot in the Buddy Morrow Orchestra. 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. Later in high school, kids would go to the movies with their friends, or boyfriends, or girlfriends. ", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIzbINNrqcQ. In 1959, after working with trumpeter Chet Baker, bandleader Stan Kenton, vibraphonist Cal Tjader,[6] and clarinetist Benny Goodman, LaFaro returned east and joined Bill Evans, who had recently left the Miles Davis Sextet. It remains what is likely Evans' most well-known song,[citation needed] one that he would play throughout his career. 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. It originally appeared as a solo piano piece on Evans' debut album, New Jazz Conceptions. At the time it was such a revolutionary idea, and it ushered in a sea change for jazz. He would practice for hours: he had all these Sonny Rollins solos he had written out in bass clef! That is what so many families Sunday ritual were like. Today would be the 78th birthday of the great Scott LaFaro, who died in a car accident in 1961. 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.

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