He remembered that Scotty was dressed up for the Newport appearance. ), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gzwXQGvXgc, LaFaro signed on with Stan Kenton for a tour in the spring of 1959. Q: Did you and your brother spend time at the Smith Opera House (which was Schines Geneva Theatre back then)? 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. 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). Security video shows a crash in the Reseda neighborhood of Los Angeles which left a driver dead. Mom needed the money. Such is the legacy of bassist Scott LaFaro, though I would suggest that what was was more than we often think. He was a musician from age 4. He started playing piano in elementary school, bass clarinet in middle school, and tenor saxophone when he entered high school. Later we moved to Elmwood Place, and during the summer we would spend many of our days at the Brook Street Playground. 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. comments . 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. It originally appeared as a solo piano piece on Evans' debut album, New Jazz Conceptions. 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. Around this time he received a greeting card from Miles Davis suggesting that Davis wanted to hire him. Stan Levey. Become a member and get exclusive access to articles, live sessions and more! He lives in Boston and has contributed toJazzTimessince 2006. He wanted the conversation back and forth between each of the players, and he wanted to play melody. 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. Death. 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. Free Jazz did that kind of splicing and segmenting for you, as part of, neatly enough, its original integrated sonic package. Did you and your brother spend time at the Smith Opera House (which was Schines Geneva Theatre back then)? April 3, 1936 in Newark, NJ. Then wed go home and have dinner and ice cream. Gloria Gabriel was one of the dancers. It was an idyllic childhood. 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 . Everyone would say Dont go to the creek! but we did anyway, and would come home with red shoes. 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.. This Third Stream affair has jazz as a major tributary vein, and it has LaFaro to thank for it. 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 ", 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. July 6, 1961 in Seneca, NY. I adored him, and I was thrilled to be able to work with him. Sound-carver. 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.. 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." 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. Genres. He said, Man, youve gotta hear this. Once he got the gig, his college days were over. [citation needed], By late 1960, LaFaro was in demand as a bassist. After that touch of piano, he really started to enjoy music and develop a keen awareness of what it was all about. Both Nat Hentoff and Ralph J. Gleason took note. You can read our interview with Holland here. Scott Yanow, All-Music GuideScott LaFaros life and career were cut short in July of 1961. 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? 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. Also, Club 86 was bringing in major stars as well. I would love to see it. 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. 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. In high school Scotty played clarinet and tenor saxophone, in spite of not being happy about a lip injury he got playing basketball at the Y. So if you were all living in California, how was it that your brother was near Geneva when he died? Our Dad was from here. 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. 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.[] My dad loved the director, so we had to go and have that experience as well. 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. But you always knew that Read More Kelly Sill, Several years ago, one of Danilo Prezs students was suffering from tendinitis. Jan. 30, 2021 1:47 PM PT. Scott LaFaro was born 64 years ago . 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. He was playing mandolin and violin publicly by age 7. 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. Jazz. He waited until we got interested, and then he was totally supportive. In May 1960, the Bill Evans Trio joined in a program at Circle in the Square that was devoted to Gunther Schullers jazz compositions. LaFaro originally played clarinet and tenor before settling on bass while in college. 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. Its the top of the sheet, instead of the coarseness of the winter blanket. The 25-year-old Scott LaFaro's death in a car accident shortly after was a major shock . 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. Yes, the Evans dynamic provided him with a perfect setting. Everyone heard him. 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. 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. They worked together with vocalist Dick Haymes, whose road show included dancers and a comic. We spoke with LaFaro-Fernandez by phone to give us a glimpse on her brothers formative years in Geneva. 1950s - 1960s. As weve already noted regarding the time period right around his tragic death, LaFaro packed a lot of art into his days. He stuck with his new hire, offered Scotty the option of plane fare to New York or L.A., and showed him the door. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The group includes Victor Feldman, Stan Levey, and trombonist Frank Rosolino. While driving home late one night his car went off the road and struck a tree. Performers: Stan Getz, ts; Steve Kuhn, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Roy Haynes d. Newport, 2 July 1961. He worked from sheet music for the clarinet, with its much higher pitch, to improve his command of the bass upper register. Stan was playing a melody, and Scott began doubling it. [5] He left that organization to work in Los Angeles. 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. Rocco Scott LaFaro, in a career that lasted only six years, developed skills on the upright bass that few have been able to match. Postings here are the last known photographs or videos of a person. He got his first professional experience playing bass at Belhurst (with my fathers group). Oscar Peterson Trio . My mom was still pregnant with my last sister. 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.. Scott died instantly and the world lost a talented andinnovative musical voice. Read about our approach to external linking. Geller recalls that at the end of Scottys first night with the clarinetist, the two went around to hear Bill Evans. While his music education began in grade school with piano and then clarinet and tenor saxophone in junior high and high school, he didnt start playing bass until his senior year, and only because a string instrument was required for his enrollment at Ithaca College, where his intent was to major in clarinet and tenor saxophone. [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". 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. 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. [My] early years at the university were thoroughly engaging intellectually but were also a time of deep introspection. LaFaro continued to divide his time between Getz, Ornette, and Evans in 1961. So help yourself to his more, if you will. Scott LaFaro - Death. LaFaro started his professional career playing a German-made Mittenwald double bass but it was stolen in the Spring of 1958. A post-bass bass player, maybe. 2023 Madavor Media, LLC. [1] For a time, Haden and LaFaro shared an apartment. 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. 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. These two albums, recorded less than two weeks prior: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ_rZZusz90 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbTEgBEaEM4. Composer: Mercer / Kosma / Prevert 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. A driver was killed when a car crashed into a home in the Hancock Park . 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. Toggle filters. The car, tree and garage all caught fire. 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. We never got to enjoy it as a concert venue in our day, unfortunately. 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. LaFaro spent most of his days practicing his instrument. Scotty was on the road at the time, in California. Born . Genre. But LaFaro makes the music pulsehe provides its heartbeat and flow. Performers: Pat Moran, p; Scott LaFaro, b; Gene Gammage, d. 1958. "Route 66" songwriter Bobby Troup was the show's host. 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. Bill Evans Trio. Scotty sat in. He replaced Charlie Haden as Ornette Coleman's bassist in January 1961. 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. 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. Performers: Hampton Hawes, p; Harold Land, ts; Scott Lafaro, b; Frank Butler, d. 14 Mar 1958. 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