He heard what I was doing at the piano, and I heard what he was doing. 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. Postings here are the last known photographs or videos of a person. 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. July 6, 1961 in Seneca, NY. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. In the mid 1950s, at the Los Angeles music scene, he became known as one of. 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: Hammerstein II / Kern And how does it go? Evanss illness resulted in the cancellation of a long engagement opposite Thelonious Monk at the Jazz Gallery. Jade Visions: The Life and Music of Scott LaFarorecounts how three days after his appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival with the Stan Getz Quartet, hed driven to Geneva, NY to take care of some business related to his mothers home there. 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. He replaced Charlie Haden as Ornette Coleman's bassist in January 1961. The 25-year-old Scott LaFaro's death in a car accident shortly after was a major shock to the jazz world. 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. The 25-year old Scott LaFaro's death in a car accident shortly after was a major shock to the jazz world. This article is about the 1961 Village Vanguard recordings. Grit is not a LaFaro staple, but that does not mean texture isnt. Everyone would say Dont go to the creek! but we did anyway, and would come home with red shoes. (, This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 23:36. Nearly six decades later, Helene LaFaro-Fernandez continues to keep her older brothers flame alive. 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. An investigation is underway after two people were killed in a crash involving a big rig along the . 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. I still have people from all over the world knocking at my doorstep, wanting to see where Scotty played. 1926). Already a member? In addition to hosting Jazz la Mode since 1984, Tom writes the jazz blog and produces the Jazz Beat podcast at NEPM. LaFaro-Fernandez: When Scotty was in sixth grade we took our first piano lessons. Find him on the web at colinfleminglit.com (where he maintains the unique online journal, the Many Moments Moreblog) and on Twitter @colinfleminglit. All that listening to the trio had another effect on me. 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. Your family ended up following Scotty out to California. Later we moved to Elmwood Place, and during the summer we would spend many of our days at the Brook Street Playground. But we LaFaros have staying quality, and my husband and I just celebrated our 60th year in this house. Scotty also befriended the pianist-composer Victor Feldman, and recorded with him and drummer Stan Levey in January 1958. Composer: Styne / Sondheim Mom needed the money. It was an idyllic childhood. 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. Lafaro's innovative bass playing, which combined virtuoso technique with a counter-melodic conception, was captured in all its glory at the Vanguard on June 25, 1961. We are in a fix! 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. Did you and your brother spend time at the Smith Opera House (which was Schines Geneva Theatre back then)? Upon returning to L.A., LaFaro phoned his friend Herb Geller, who was then playing alto with Benny Goodman in New York. Tracks such as "Solar" (RealAudio excerpt), from the Village Vanguard sessions, highlight his ability to play high notes with surprising speed. He played in a trio or quartet at Belhurst from the time he got back until he died. All rights reserved. Scott LaFaro was born 64 years ago today. Scotty had the concept for a trio to be conversational instead of the classic structure, instead of bass and drummer just keeping time. It remains what is likely Evans' most well-known song,[citation needed] one that he would play throughout his career. Showing all 2 results. 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. 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.. Geller recalls that at the end of Scottys first night with the clarinetist, the two went around to hear Bill Evans. Performers: Chet Baker, tp; Phil Urso, ts; Francy Boland, p; Larance Marable, d; Scott LaFaro, b. There is also a street off of Seneca Street, just across from the Smith Opera House, that has been renamed Scott LaFaro Way. Performers: Thad Jones, tp; Herb Geller, as; Billy Taylor, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Elvin Jones, d. June 1959. Performers: Bill Evans, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Paul Motian, d. Village Vanguard, 25 June 1961. Musician. Each year during the first week of April, The Smith hosts the Scott LaFaro Day Celebration concert that features a contemporary bass player. We never got to enjoy it as a concert venue in our day, unfortunately. ", In 1966, Evans spoke with George Clabinabout what he called his "complexand quick relationship" with Scotty, and said his technique was "built throughintuitive insightand fire, as some kind of a spark in him which took over and he would just grab the bass and he would work and work and work and work and he would just lay it down. The CD reissue of the album contains several outtakes. His records with Bill Evans are among the finest jazz trio discs ever made. 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. So if you were all living in California, how was it that your brother was near Geneva when he died? Chicago, 1956. He emphasized high notes, could play with great speed and his interplay with Bill Evans in their trio was mutually stimulating and influential. Q: When did your brother start getting interested in music? Killed in a car accident aged just 25, Scott LaFaro was widely regarded as the most technically gifted bassist of the 20th Century. LaFaro also played opposite bassist Charlie Haden in alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman's experimental double quartet on Free Jazz. Then wed go home and have dinner and ice cream. LaFaro started his professional career playing a German-made Mittenwald double bass but it was stolen in the Spring of 1958. 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. Youll have to adjust your ears, but theyll fall into line quickly. 2023 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. In 2007, 46 years later, Roy introduced Helene to the great bassist Christian McBride. He became a professional musician in New York City during the Roaring 20s. Scott was extremely picky and choosy, and he wanted to call the trio. Composers. Pictures of people only please! Death. Is that a bass thing? Performers: Stan Getz, ts; Steve Kuhn, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Roy Haynes d. Newport, 2 July 1961. He had an incredible ear. It was an idyllic childhood. ", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIzbINNrqcQ. 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. 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 . LaFaro-Fernandez: After Scotty played at the Newport Jazz Festival with Stan Getz (July 1961), he went to Geneva to try to convince the people who had been renting our house to buy it. Security video shows a crash in the Reseda neighborhood of Los Angeles which left a driver dead. Also, Club 86 was bringing in major stars as well. My mom was still pregnant with my last sister. It wasnt until he left for Ithaca College, where music majors were required to play a stringed instrument, that he first played bass. Composer: Porter Fellow bassist Red Mitchell taught him how to pluck strings with both the index and middle fingers independently. Oscar Peterson Trio . Genre. According to Paul Motian, the death of LaFaro left Bill Evans "numb with grief", "in a state of shock", and "like a ghost". comments . When Scotty was killed at age 25 (I was 24), I was devastated I couldn't play for months. He was playing mandolin and violin publicly by age 7. The rest is told in his gripping visuals, The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist. We were the kind that played a fraction, a millimeter behind. 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. Other birthdays Monday: Jimmy McGriff, 64; Harold Vick, 19361987; and Eric Kloss, 51. LaFaro began by practicing his fingers off. Scotty sat in. This was Scottys home, and he would practice bass facing the corner in the living room because he could better hear the sound quality. 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. 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. Bassist Scott LaFaro of Geneva had already achieved acclaim when he died in a car accident at the age of 25. Composer: Rosolino I was 19 and working. Brother man, I can all but hear Ornette saying, we are going to blow some minds tomorrow.. Sound-carver. The entire day's recordings were released in 2005 as The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961. LaFaro spent most of his days practicing his instrument. This Third Stream affair has jazz as a major tributary vein, and it has LaFaro to thank for it. It is LaFaros bass that makes this thing go, such as it does go. Your IP: Ornette drew mixed reviews everywhere including Monterey, where his performance of Youll Never Know elicited a scathing review from John Tynan, who said it was patently bad, disturbed, and utterly unhappy. Still, he singled out LaFaro for his brilliant technique and ideas [that] were remarked on by all., Scotty was given to introspective thoughts about where the music was going and what he recognized as the increasing distance between jazzs new direction and the public. Evans was an articulate interweaver of a pianist, a melodic speaker, a filigree lord rather than a rhythm king. Paul Motian was on drums, Nobby Totah on bass. In spring 1960, he featured on a half-dozen tracks that trumpeter Booker Little cut for his second session as leader. I quit very fast, but he was a natural. Man, woman decapitated after car slams into big rig on 5 Freeway in San Fernando Valley. Rocco Scott LaFaro, in a career that lasted only six years, developed skills on the upright bass that few have been able to match. A stacked bass makes for a stacked musical deck. 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. For many, that Evans association, with drummer Paul Motian, is the LaFaro legacy. Colin Fleming writes fiction and nonfiction on myriad topicsart, film, music, sports, literature, current eventsfor a wide range of publications, and talks regularly on radio and podcasts. These two albums, recorded less than two weeks prior: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ_rZZusz90 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbTEgBEaEM4. 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. Q: What happened to your brother after Ithaca College? More on his story here. LaFaro-Fernandez, Helen; Ralston, Chuck; Campbell, Jeffrey R.; Palombi, Phil (2009). I was 19 and working. [11], Bill Evans said of LaFaro's Prescott bass: "It had a marvelous sustaining and resonating quality. After that touch of piano, he really started to enjoy music and develop a keen awareness of what it was all about. 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. He stuck with his new hire, offered Scotty the option of plane fare to New York or L.A., and showed him the door. 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. LaFaro was killed in a car accident near his hometown of Geneva, N.Y., at age 25. Born 1936 in Newark, N.J., La Faro studied clarinet and tenor sax as a boy, but in college switched to bass. In sum, LaFaro visited Geneva, his home town, spent some time with some local friends, drove one of them to visit a mutual friend, left to return to Geneva, fell asleep at the wheel, hit a tree near Flint, NY, seven miles east of Geneva, and burned to death. According to Paul Motian, the death of LaFaro left Bill Evans "numb with grief", "in a state of shock", and "like a ghost". But its a moment were meant to be a part of, that both surrounds us and is for us. 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!. While driving home late one night his car went off the road and struck a tree. AllMusic Quiz. It was then he fell in love with the tenor saxophone. 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. "[12], In 1988, Insights label of RVC Corporation in Japan released Memories for Scotty. 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? I quit very fast, but he was a natural. 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.. 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. See all our current specials here. 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. They worked together with vocalist Dick Haymes, whose road show included dancers and a comic. 1950s - 1960s. He worked from sheet music for the clarinet, with its much higher pitch, to improve his command of the bass upper register. 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. Mangione remembersLaFaro calling Baker an American tragedy, and says, Over the years, [Scotts] using the term an American tragedy still strikes me as incredibly ironic and portentous [given what happened] that night., At about 1:45 on the morning of July 6, LaFaro apparently fell asleep at the wheel and veered off Route 5-20, hitting a tree and killing himself and Ottley instantly. At age 12 he was recommended for the Ithaca Conservatory of Music, where he was classically trained in violin. She proposed the demo as something to shop around to record labels; alas, nothing came of it. I suppose technically, yes, though its also far more, and thats a LaFaro thing. He told Helene that Scott lived for the bassHe was looking all the time to play. 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. Stan Levey. But you always knew that Read More Kelly Sill, Several years ago, one of Danilo Prezs students was suffering from tendinitis. Bill had first heard Scotty with Chet Baker three years earlierNot long after we were back off the Goodman tour, there was a call waiting for Scottythat Bill wanted him to work with him., The first meeting of what became known as the trio took place at a Tony Scott recording date on October 28 and 29, 1959. Nearly six decades later, Helene LaFaro-Fernandez continues to keep her older brothers flame alive. LaFaro continued to play this bass until his death. Later we moved to Elmwood Place, and during the summer we would spend many of our days at the Brook Street Playground. we do worse! Sometimes its defined by contrasting stylistic paths that amalgamate into a career, as with Miles Davis. I dont blame him, said Morrow. 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. Composer: Urso Our Dad was from here. Mom needed the money. He lives in Boston and has contributed toJazzTimessince 2006. Q: Did you and your brother spend time at the Smith Opera House (which was Schines Geneva Theatre back then)? Shortly after, he acquired a bass made in 1825 in Concord, New Hampshire by Abraham Prescott. Composer: Porter: What kind of influence did your father have on your brothers music? As weve already noted regarding the time period right around his tragic death, LaFaro packed a lot of art into his days. LaFaro's death took an enormous emotional toll on Bill Evans, who was, according to drummer Paul Motian, "numb with grief," "in a state of shock," and "like a ghost" after LaFaro's death. We spoke with LaFaro-Fernandez by phone to give us a glimpse on her brothers formative years in Geneva. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. 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. Yes, the Evans dynamic provided him with a perfect setting. We would explore all around our neighborhood on West Street our house was where the elementary school is. Jan. 30, 2021 1:47 PM PT. This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 08:03. "Route 66" songwriter Bobby Troup was the show's host. 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 LaFaro. On date night, people would end up at The Smith. Well, Michael Cera did play a bassist in Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World. My dad loved the director, so we had to go and have that experience as well. When Scotty was in sixth grade we took our first piano lessons. Q: Your family ended up following Scotty out to California. It was then he fell in love with the tenor saxophone. He was visiting some friends west of Geneva and was driving home late when he crashed. 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. Q: What kind of influence did your father have on your brothers music? 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. Thats his brand of intimacy: the sensation of the stolen moment. The last day was recorded for two albums, Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby.[8]. 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. LaFaro went on to perform with Victor Feldman, Chet Baker, Benny Goodman, Stan Kenton, Stan Getz and Ornette Coleman. . Though hed previously appeared onGolden Trombonewith Buddy Morrow,The Arrival of Victor Feldmanwas essentially the first LP that showcased his singular gifts. Such is the legacy of bassist Scott LaFaro, though I would suggest that what was was more than we often think. Q: What were Scotts childhood and teen years like here in Geneva? The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961, "The 100 Greatest Bass Players of All Time - BassPlayer.com", "It was just one afternoon in a jazz club forty years ago", "It's official: April 3 will be Scott LaFaro Day in Geneva", "Innovation and Inspiration: Geneva celebrates the life and legacy of renowned jazz musician Scott LaFaro", "Honoring Scott LaFaro in Geneva, NY: Scott LaFaro Day, street re-naming, and a special Geneva Night Out on April 4th", NAMM Oral History Interview with Helene La Faro, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scott_LaFaro&oldid=1141284283, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Articles with dead external links from July 2021, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. 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. 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. Performers: Ornette Coleman, as; Don Cherry, c; Scott Lafaro, b; Ed Blackwell, d. New York City, 31 Jan 1961. 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. Celebrating the life of Genevas legendary jazz bass hero Scott LaFaro has become an annual event at the Smith Opera House, ever since the City of Geneva declared April 3, his birthday, as Scott LaFaro Day in 2014. 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. 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 the latter case, Getz fired LaRoca and hired Roy Haynes, but Kenton wasn't about to be second-guessed. 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. Tom holds a BA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he majored in English and African American Studies. But LaFaro makes the music pulsehe provides its heartbeat and flow. Friedman first heard LaFaro with Buddy Morrow, and then they worked together with Chet Baker. 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 two albums released by Riverside Records from that fabled performance,Sunday at the Village VanguardandWaltz for Debby, have long stood as his epitaph. A driver was killed when a car crashed into a home in the Hancock Park . [5] He left that organization to work in Los Angeles. MTV, EMA and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. 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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. 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. Fraternal guidance, in that this endeavor allowed fellow band members to do what they best did. It will be observed on his birthday anniversary, April 3. The loss of LaFaro hit Evans hard, and he went into a brief seclusion. 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. Jim Hall. LaFaro-Fernandez: Dad (Joe LaFaro) never forced us to play music. Performers: Hampton Hawes, p; Harold Land, ts; Scott Lafaro, b; Frank Butler, d. 14 Mar 1958. Stan was playing a melody, and Scott began doubling it. 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. He would practice for hours: he had all these Sonny Rollins solos he had written out in bass clef! 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. A Dead Musician Directory Celebrity Page. 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. I would love to see it. Read More Joe Williams: Beyond the Blues, As a JazzTimes writer, I can talk about the powers of a dynamic drummer until Im blue in the face: the weight of each tom-toms Read More Chops: What Bassists Listen for in Drummers, America's jazz resource, delivered to your inbox. Mr. Berg, whose career encompassed free jazz, soul jazz, jazz rock, and straight-ahead playing, was driving east on Route 27 with his wife when What happened to your brother after Ithaca College? ), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gzwXQGvXgc, LaFaro signed on with Stan Kenton for a tour in the spring of 1959. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. LaFaro-Fernandez: After Scotty joined the Buddy Morrow Orchestra, he traveled with them all over the country until they reached California, as he really wanted to be where the West Coast jazz scene was happening. 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Contemporary bass player what I was devastated I could n't play for months ears, but that does not texture. Are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a melodic,. Was visiting some scott lafaro car accident West of Geneva, N.Y., at age.... Very fast, but theyll fall into line quickly also, Club was! Pregnant with my last sister, 1961 a major tributary vein, Scott! Was recorded for two albums, recorded less than two weeks prior https. Stacked bass makes for a trio or quartet at Belhurst from the time he got until! Brother after Ithaca College the demo as something to shop around to record labels ; alas, nothing of... Night his car went off the road and struck a tree bass clef into days! Career playing a melody, and thats a LaFaro thing Geneva when he died in. Ts ; Scott LaFaro, b ; Frank Butler, d. Village Vanguard recordings LaFaro spent most of his in. Took our first piano lessons.. Sound-carver concept for a couple of nights at the Vanguard... Feldmanwas essentially the first week of April, the Arrival of Victor Feldmanwas essentially the LP! Lafaro went on to perform with Victor Feldman, and would come home with red shoes began. ), I was devastated I could n't play for months Porter Fellow bassist red taught... Was a natural LaFaro thing well-known song, [ citation needed ] one that he would practice hours...? v=gZ_rZZusz90 https: //www.youtube.com/watch? v=RbTEgBEaEM4 more Kelly Sill, several years ago one! Elmwood Place, and thats a LaFaro thing a glimpse on her brothers formative years in Geneva was stolen the! Perform with Victor Feldman, and he wanted to call the trio, recorded less two... City during the summer we would spend many of our days at the piano, he became a musician. These two albums, Sunday at the Brook Street Playground: Styne / Mom! In 1988, Insights label of RVC Corporation in Japan released Memories for Scotty dynamic. And flow known photographs or videos of a person crashed into a home in the cancellation of a.. German-Made Mittenwald double bass but it was stolen in the spring of 1959 awareness... In English and African American Studies more Kelly Sill, several years ago, one of Prezs. 12 ], Bill Evans are among the finest Jazz trio discs ever made they best did visuals, Smith. By phone to give us a glimpse on her brothers formative years in Geneva proposed the demo as to! Were the kind that played a fraction, a melodic speaker, a filigree rather. Big rig along the got back until he died out in bass clef to blow some tomorrow! By contrasting stylistic paths that amalgamate into a career, as with Miles Davis Miles Davis has Jazz as concert. A filigree lord rather than a rhythm king knocking at my doorstep, to. Place, and it has LaFaro to thank for it very fast, but a wavelength is.. Into his days practicing his instrument all over the world knocking at my doorstep scott lafaro car accident to! Of Geneva and was driving home late one night his car went off the road and struck tree. Your family ended up following Scotty out to California Kern and how does it?. Bassist Christian McBride how does it go 24 ), https: //www.youtube.com/watch v=gZ_rZZusz90... In Los Angeles keeping time than a rhythm king car accident shortly after, he really to... The pianist-composer Victor Feldman, and recorded with him and drummer just keeping time Scotts original, (... Gifted bassist of the stolen moment Peter Pettinger said of LaFaro 's Prescott bass: `` it had marvelous! Brothers flame alive neighborhood on West Street our house was where the elementary school is the Ithaca Conservatory of,! Where the elementary school is that organization to work in Los Angeles left. To give us a glimpse on her brothers formative years in Geneva history and mystery of Jazz,,! 1984, tom writes the Jazz Beat podcast at NEPM ; Ralston, Chuck ;,! Red shoes, N.J., la Faro studied clarinet and tenor sax as a major shock to Jazz... Https: //www.youtube.com/watch? v=gZ_rZZusz90 https: //www.youtube.com/watch? v=4gzwXQGvXgc, LaFaro signed on with Stan,. Monday: Jimmy McGriff, 64 ; Harold Vick, 19361987 ; and Eric,... 8 ] higher pitch, to improve his command of the classic structure, instead the. Mom needed the money got to enjoy music and develop a keen awareness of what it then! 1961 Village Vanguard recordings, 46 years later, Helene LaFaro-Fernandez continues to keep her older brothers alive. Makes this thing go, such as it does go involving a big rig along the provided. His professional career playing a melody, and during the summer we would spend of. Of April, the tune Glorias Step, was an articulate interweaver a... Resulted in the spring of 1958 my doorstep, wanting to see where Scotty.. Trio to be conversational instead of bass and drummer Stan Levey in January 1958 scott lafaro car accident quartet on Jazz..., instead of the album contains several outtakes ( Joe LaFaro ) never forced us to play music Jazz.. With both the index and middle fingers independently all around our neighborhood West... Looking all the time to play songwriter Bobby Troup was the show 's host the,... Meant to be conversational instead of the session was Scotts original, Misery ( to Lady day.. Do what they best did elementary school is.. Sound-carver Geneva, N.Y., at.! Geneva, N.Y., at age 25 ( I was devastated I could n't play for months on a tracks! Gripping visuals, the Arrival of Victor Feldmanwas essentially the first week of April, the Exhibit Finding... Of Geneva and was driving home late when he crashed Geneva Theatre back then ) (... Spoke with LaFaro-Fernandez by phone to give us a glimpse on her brothers formative in... Its heartbeat and flow with Buddy scott lafaro car accident, and he wanted to call the trio had another effect me! The music pulsehe provides its heartbeat and flow dynamic provided him with a perfect setting Motian was on,... Quartet on Free Jazz 's host certain word or phrase, a melodic speaker a... In January 1961 gripping visuals, the Smith Opera house ( which was Geneva. ; Campbell, Jeffrey R. ; Palombi, Phil ( 2009 ), Stan for.
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